A Forbidden Forever
by ToryD
Summary: Sexy Billionaire Edward Cullen has fallen hard for college student Bella Swan, but will his jealous sister Rosalie keep them apart with her evil ways? Twilight retelling with a twist. E/B AU Please Read and review. My 1st Twilight Fan Fiction.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyers' work.

**A/N** Welcome! I thought I'd try something new and give the Twilight characters a shot. If you have read any of my POTO works this story will run along the same lines, lots of angst, drama and of course major romance. For those of you who have been waiting for me to return to my unfinished POTO stories, I seem to have lost my muse so I hope you will give this a try; and who knows, maybe this will give me the kick in the butt I seem to need to get writing again. So let's get started with our story. Hope you enjoy!

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled**

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter One**

Edward Cullen leaned back in his leather chair as he studied the latest set of financials before him. An unprecedented profit reflected off the page for his privately owned telecommunications company that had served to make him a billionaire several times over. Most men would be celebrating such unparalleled success, yet Edward was not most men. In fact he was not a man at all, though most humans would be hard pressed to recognize his secret. Tossing the paper carelessly onto his glass topped desk, he wondered what it would take for him to escape the tedium that his existence had become. 'What was left in this life to offer any type of thrill or excitement?' He questioned himself wearily. He had traveled the world over, had just about studied every type of subject known to man and now he had succeeded in business as no other before him. So what was left that could offer to pull him from his unending boredom?

Thinking of his family, he wondered why he was the only one who still seemed to struggle with the endless time that he was sentenced to. His adopted parents Carlisle and Esme Cullen each possessed a zest for life, if indeed one could call it a life. Their total devotion to each other as well as to their adopted family made him ashamed that he could not emulate the stellar example they exhibited. His adopted brothers and sisters had each seemed to accept what this world had to offer, so why was he still only going through the motions. Why couldn't he find the contentment that they had each found, he questioned himself silently. Ever since he became a vampire at the age of 28, he had struggled with his place in this world. Even though he had been lucky enough to be included into a loving family such as the Cullen's, he still seemed to question if this was all that this life had to offer. Just an endless stretch of time with no inherit purpose to fulfill.

Getting to his feet, he looked at his watch and saw that it was going on two in the morning. Knowing that he shouldn't be working this late for the seventh consecutive night if he didn't want to raise any unneeded comments from his security staff, he quickly crossed to the door in order to make his way towards the elevator. The annoying ring tone that his sister Alice had programmed into his cell phone peeled over loudly to his sensitive ears. A crooked smile that served to enhance the beauty of his flawless features adorned his lips as he quickly fished his phone out of his suit jacket and activated the button to access her call. "What is it that has you calling me at this hour?" he asked with an amused tone that he reserved for her alone.

"Edward! Where are you?" she asked with an anxiousness that instantly put him on alert.

"I'm just about to head home, why?" he asked as a slight frown furrowed his smooth pale brow.

"NO!" Alice all but yelled into the phone. "Where exactly are you in the building?" she asked with an impatience that caused an imaginary chill to sweep down into the pit of Edward's stomach, if he could in fact feel such a chill.

"I'm just about to get off the elevator," Edward replied at the exact moment that the pinging tone of the elevator's ring announced the arrival of his first floor destination.

"Oh Damn!" Alice whispered in a wave of distress that only she could understand. "Listen to me," she began with a forced calmness to her voice that did little to disguise her anxiety. "Hold your breath," she instructed quickly.

Edward instantly did as she ordered; knowing instinctively that Alice had had one of her unfaultable visions of the future and to ignore her advice would only prove detrimental. "What have you seen," he asked with the reserved breath he held within his lungs.

"There is a young woman who is about to cross your path," she began with a sad tone that she couldn't quite hide. "Just hold your breath and walk past her without looking in her direction."

Edward looked down at the marbled floor and carefully measured his steps to that of a human as he crossed the elegant lobby. Instinctively he could feel the presence of three humans; two male security guards were manning the main lobby desk and a woman who seemed to be struggling with a large buffing machine to his immediate left. The latter being the threat that Alice was foretelling.

"Keep walking," Alice encouraged as though she were there to witness the entire scene first hand.

Edward clenched his free hand into a tight fist as he felt unexplainable and overwhelming warmth spread through him as he passed a few feet away from the unseen woman. Even though he couldn't smell her human scent, he felt an instant almost unbearable desire to feed on this woman whom he could not spare even the barest of glimpses. "Alice!" he growled with an unmistakable pleading that caused Alice to cry out for the pain she knew he must be feeling.

"Just a few more seconds Edward," she coaxed as she sank down heavily on the steps of her family home's grand staircase. "Emmet t is waiting outside."

Edward glanced up to see that his brother was in fact waiting for his arrival with his mud spattered Jeep Cherokee idling at the building's entrance. Pushing through the glass double doors he quickly opened the jeep's passenger door and slid with an unconscious grace into the seat.

"Okay Bro?" Emmett asked with a casual tone that failed to match the concern that reflected from his warm brown eyes.

"Get me to the forest," Edward ordered through tightly clenched teeth.

Seeing that his brother remained in a deep struggle to overcome the intense need to feed on human blood, Emmett floored the jeep's accelerator to put as much distance between them and whatever had threatened his brother's commitment to the non-human diet that he had pledged so many years ago.

"Edward?" Alice's sweet, concerned voice broke over the line.

"I'll see you soon Alice," Edward sighed heavily into the phone.

"Okay, we'll talk later Edward," she promised with a sadness that only touched upon the magnitude of their upcoming conversation.

Ending the call, Edward turned to look out at the Portland city lights as they quickly made their way out of the city towards the forest, a forest that held an unlimited source of animals in which he could quench his overpowering hunger for blood. Only his mind was now relentlessly questioning if the animal blood on which he had survived for the past eighty years would serve to conquer the need that he now had for an unseen human's blood.

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Bella Swan smiled softly as she acknowledged the two security guards on duty at the lobby desk while she wrestled with the large bulky floor polisher. Frowning at the various buttons on the polisher's handle, she pushed the first one that identified itself as 'polish' and felt a strong pull on her arm socket as the machine burst into life. Grasping the vibrating handle with both hands, she had to struggle to hold it flat on the smooth floor's surface. After a few minutes she began to get the feel of the machine's power and began to move it across the lobby with a little more success. This was her second night as a member of the Cullen Communication's buildings cleaning staff and she knew how lucky she was to secure this position which allowed her to easily continue working her two other jobs and meeting the demands of her classroom schedule.

Smiling to herself she wondered what Jacob or Mike would say if they could see her 5 foot 4 inch frame working a machine almost as tall. Jacob would probably just laugh himself silly, whereas Mike would launch into his familiar tirade of how unnecessary it was for her to work in such a menial way in order to pay for college when he could just pay the way for her. With a heavy sigh, she wondered silently to herself why Mike couldn't understand her need to make her own way in the world just as he had. His success in the national football league had proved to be a dream come true for a kid that was dealt such a raw deal when it came to his parents. What a threesome they made; the three misfits that survived various foster homes to emerge with a common pain that only they could share.

With the loud, reverberating hum the machine was producing she wasn't aware of the tall figure that had emerged from the elevator until she caught a quick view of him out of her right field of vision. Drawing a quick intake of breath, she couldn't help but stare at the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His smooth pale features appeared frozen in a mask that appeared to be as if he was holding in some deep seated pain. As her heart skipped a beat she continued to follow him with her compassion filled eyes while feeling his pain as a strange physical manifestation within her own body. She continued to watch as he gracefully exited the building to an awaiting Jeep just parked outside. With a shake of her head she wondered what had caused her strange response to a man whom she had never met. "You're losing it Bella," she whispered to herself chidingly as she returned her focus on the task at hand.

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"They're home," Alice announced to the other four members of her family who were anxiously awaiting Edward and Emmett's return.

Carlisle crossed the large foyer to the massive hand carved mahogany double doors and pulled them wide as if to expedite the arrival of his sons. "How is he?" he questioned without taking his bronze eyes from the elegant walkway that crossed to the large garage.

"I can't tell," Alice sighed unevenly, resigned that her gift of telling the future was failing her at this one most important moment.

"What is he feeling Jasper?" Esme asked her youngest son with a soft concern that only a mother could possess as she crossed the room to stand by her husband's side.

"He is filled with a barely leashed rage and a feeling of fear. Fear of not being in control," Jasper explained when finished reading his brother's emotions while he held tightly to his wife Alice's trembling hand.

"Here they are," Carlisle announced as he watched his son's approach.

Edward winced as he read the thoughts swirling around his family's minds, all exhibiting an undeniable concern focused exclusively upon him. Crossing the threshold into his family's mansion, he was immediately pulled into the embrace of his mother Esme. "I'm fine," he whispered into her ear.

Pulling back, Esme retained her hold on Edward as she studied his features with concern alighting her pale, perfect face.

Carlisle reached out and placed a firm, supporting hand upon his son's shoulder. "Would you like to talk about it?" he queried with a father's love that served to offer some small measure of comfort to the tense man who stood before him.

"I need to see Alice first," Edward stated as his bronze colored eyes searched the room for his most beloved sister.

Alice rose from her position next to her husband and crossed the room to take her brother in her arms in a show of acceptance.

"Let's go outside," Edward said softly as he disengaged himself from his sister's embrace.

Brushing past Emmett's tense form on the doorstep, Edward led Alice to a secluded spot in his mother's carefully tended garden.

"So, why don't you tell me who she is?" Edward asked with a voice that held no emotion.

Nodding her head slightly, Alice began to rerun the two visions that had entered her consciousness only a short time ago. The first vision was that of Edward and the young woman on what appeared to be a date, they were both laughing at something they had just witnessed in a play of some sort. But there was more, in Alice's vision he saw that his eyes were filled with love as he gazed upon the woman seated beside him, and that she was also looking upon him with an undeniable love reflected in her own gentle, warm, brown eyes. His whole being filled with an unequaled anticipation that he had not felt since he left his human life behind. Just as his face began to show a radiance of joy, Alice's vision switch to that of himself holding a broken lifeless body of the woman, his own eyes filled with unequaled anguish for the deed his nature could not deny, the woman's death at his own hands.

As the vision faded, Edward fell to his knees, cursing himself from what he was. A blood thirsty monster, who could never be with the one he was meant to be with.

Alice watched as Edward fought against the pain of the unjust future that had been lain out for him. Placing a cold hand upon his, she leaned face against his. "It hasn't gelled yet," she began softly. "I don't know which will come to be the truth."

Edward gently pushed his sister away from his side and rose with a slowness that attested to the tightly leashed control he held upon his emotions. "Go back to the others," he advised softly as he began to walk slowly into the darkened forest that sat adjacent to the large mansion.

Alice watched as her brother disappeared into the darkness, her unbeating heart breaking for the cruel hand that fate had dealt him. Turning she walked back towards the house and was met by five pairs of concerned eyes. Smiling sadly she crossed to her mother and said with a sorrow filled voice that filled the room with an unmistakable dread. "He has found his one."

Confusion filled Esme's face as she processed her daughter's words. "But that's wonderful news," she said as she drew her daughter into her arms. The news that her son had finally found the one person whom he would share his life and love with was welcoming as she felt a joy spread through her.

Pulling back Alice shook her head violently. "No, NO!" She began harshly. "She is a human, and in the end he is going to kill her; and in doing so he will kill himself."

Esme's eyes filled with horror at the picture her daughter had painted for Edward's future. "Carlisle," she called out brokenly as she held a beckoning hand towards her husband.

Carlisle grasped his wife's hand tightly in his own, hoping that he had the wisdom to see his family through the dark days ahead.

Emmett pulled Rosalie into his comforting arms and held her to his unbeating heart, wishing that his brother could somehow find a way around his sister's prophecy.

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A/N Next chapter we will learn more about Bella's past and we will also see poor Edward continue to struggle with a yet undecided future. Please let me know what you think and review. Thanks for taking the time to read!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled**

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Two**

Bella pulled the ear phones from her ears as she entered the back entrance to the downtown Portland bakery where she worked as an assistant baker/server. "Good morning Sam," she called out to her boss as she made her way to her assigned locker.

"Morning," Sam, a burly man in his late fifties, mumbled back as was his customary greeting at three a.m. "You can get started on the cake batter," he called out almost absently as he continued glazing the tray of donuts in front of him.

"Good morning Meg," Bella greeted her fellow co-worker as she placed her oversized tote bag in her locker.

"What's so good about it?" Meg grumbled as she lifted a steaming cup of coffee to her lips in hopes that the brew would awaken her.

Smiling lightly to herself, Bella reached for a hairnet to cover her auburn waist length hair. "Sam wants me to start the batter for the cake orders; do you have the order clipboard?"

"It's over on the counter," Meg replied without lifting her sagging eyes.

Bella began accessing the orders to ascertain how much batter would be needed to fulfill the day's orders.

"How's the new job?" Meg asked as she scooted off her stool in an attempt to begin her day's tasks. Reaching for a hairnet, she pushed her thinning grey hair under the fine webbing as she turned to walk over to the seven trays of unfrosted cupcakes that awaited her attention.

"I can't complain, the hours are just about perfect for me," Bella answered with a grin.

"God Bella! I don't know how you keep to the schedule you punish yourself with," Meg said as she shook her head. "When do you sleep?"

"Oh I grab a few hours here and there," Bella replied with a look of concentration as she calculated the amount of flour she would need for all of the vanilla flavored cake orders.

"Well if I don't get at least eight hours a night I can't function and here you are working three jobs, and going to college," Meg said with a note of disbelief in her tone.

"I do have Sunday to sleep," Bella reminded her as she dumped a fifteen pound bag of flour into the large commercial mixing bowl.

"Yep that you do, but I know that you spend most of your Sundays traveling up to Seattle to see Jacob," Meg stated with a sympathetic tone.

Bella couldn't help the sharp pain that stabbed at her heart as her mind brought up the picture of Jacob sitting behind a wall of thick Plexiglas that served as the Washington State penitentiary's visitation center. "He'd do the same for me," she replied in a quiet voice that failed to hide her pain.

"I know he would honey," Meg said as she walked over to Bella and gave her a slight hug from behind. "So tell me about the new job?" she asked with a more upbeat tone to push away the seriousness of their last few words.

"Well, basically I just clean the first three floors of the Cullen Communications building," Bella replied simply.

"Cullen Communications?" Meg repeated with a frown of concentration upon her wrinkled brow. "Isn't that owned by that billionaire guy?"

"I really don't know," Bella answered without thinking.

"Wait! It is owned by some young hottie named Edward Cullen," Meg announced with a gleam in her blue eyes. "I've seen a picture of him in one of my tabloids."

Bella smiled ruefully as she watched Meg race to her stack of magazines.

After several minutes Meg cried out triumphantly, "Here it is!" Rushing over to Bella's side, she presented the front page picture of an extremely handsome albeit annoyed Edward Cullen. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

Bella tried to hide her amusement at the older woman's dreamy look. Glancing down at the photograph she couldn't stop the quick intake of breath that the sight of the same man whom she had seen only a short time ago. "That's Edward Cullen?" she whispered questioningly.

"Yes! Let me see what the article inside says," Meg said as she pulled Bella by the arm to a table surrounded by high stools. Placing the tabloid on the table Meg began to read aloud,

"_Recently caught leaving a fund raiser for his brother's Portland Hospital is eccentric billionaire Edward Cullen, the owner to the privately held Cullen Telecommunications reportedly worth over sixty-five billion dollars. Cullen, age 28, is somewhat of a recluse and not often photographed so you lucky readers of the Expose are one of the only few who have seen this handsome businessman. Cullen resides in a private residence just outside of Portland that is reportedly encompassing over six thousand acres and is heavily secured with fifteen feet tall electric fences. Other members of the Cullen family have also reached great successes in various fields. His sister Rosalie is one of the world's top fashion designers. In addition to the talented Rosalie and Edward is their older brother Dr. Carlisle Cullen who as you may have heard developed a surgical technique that has served to revolutionize the heart bypass procedure and is reported to be saving over six million lives a year. We couldn't dig up much else on this striking bachelor, but he is not reported to be seeing any one woman in particular so you single Expose readers in the Portland area keep an eye out!"_

As Meg finished reading the article she mock fanned herself. "Oh if I were only fifteen years younger, she said with a sassy wink to Bella.

Bella failed to laugh at her co-worker's joke as she continued to stare unblinkingly at the photograph of her new boss. It seemed as if his eyes, a strange bronze color were calling to her in some bizarre fashion. What was it about this man that was causing her to lose her mind? She questioned herself silently.

"Earth to Bella," Meg called as she watched her friend's dazed expression.

Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts Bella smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Meg, I was a thousand miles away."

"I just bet you were," Meg said with a mockingly raised eyebrow. "I just bet you were a million miles away on some deserted beach with Mr. Billionaire bucks."

"Meg!" Bella admonished sharply but failed to hide the immediate blush to her pale cheeks.

Meg chuckled at the reaction she achieved. "Oh come on Bella, live a little! Who knows, stranger things have happened."

"Right Meg," Bella said with a roll of her eyes as she turned back to her cake batter.

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"Dad," Edward called softly as he entered his father's study.

"Edward," Carlisle responded gently as he motioned for his son to enter.

Crossing the intricately designed, hand inlaid wooden floor with an unconscious air of defeat to his gait, Edward slowly entered the room. "I need some advice," he said with a raw weariness that attested to the internal struggle he was facing.

Closing the latest copy of the Journal of American Medicine, Carlisle raised his eyes to meet his son's anguished gaze. "Alice filled us in on the details," he began the conversation feeling that he needed to offer his son some assistance.

Edward turned from his father's concerned face to look out the line of windows that ran from floor to ceiling. As he gazed at the rising of the new day's sun hidden behind the ever present overcast of clouds he wondered what this day would bring. "I'm not sure I know what I need to do here," he began with a lost feeling to his words. "I'm kind of out of my depth on this one."

Carlisle rose to breach the short distance to stand behind his son. '_Son'_, he thought to himself ruefully, for there was only a ten year marked difference in their human ages. "Edward," he said gently as he reached out his hand to place it upon his son's shoulder. "I'm not sure what the future will bring, but this I do know," he paused as he looked deep into his son's troubled eyes. "You would never harm where you loved Edward, this I know with everything that I am."

Edward couldn't suppress the shutter of helplessness. "But what if you're wrong, what if…" his voice trailed off as if the words that he wanted to say were just to dire to utter.

Taking his son's face within his hands, Carlisle looked deeply into his eyes. "Listen to me," he coaxed with a firmness that he accentuated with a firm shake. "Whatever you decide we will support you. If you want to turn and walk away we will go with you." He paused as he drew in an unneeded breath. "But if you want to follow your heart Edward, we will be there to help you in any way we can. You have never once slipped in the past eighty years so why would it be now that you would fail to meet your commitment to preserve a human life; especially when the human life is the one that has been shown to be the love that has been missing for all of these years? No Edward, you are not the type of man who would turn your back on your destiny, no matter how hard a sacrifice you must face in order for you to achieve it."

Edward swallowed past a lump in his throat, knowing that what his father's words had a ring of truth to them; he would always have his family's support no matter what the outcome. Nodding his head, Edward pulled his gaze away from his father's, unable to face the strong look of conviction that his father held in his belief that he would not harm a human life. "Alright then," He whispered with a sense of purpose. "I guess I had better find out a little more about this woman who is about to steal my heart."

Carlisle smiled with a sense of hope filling his eyes. "Let's go find Emmett."

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"He's ready," Alice announced with a bright smile alighting her pale features.

"Alice," Jasper admonished her slightly as he tugged her down upon his lap.

"Oh leave me alone," she responded as she dodged his kiss. "It's not every day that something changes in this family."

"What's changing?" Esme asked as she walked gracefully into the room with a large vase full of flowers intended for the large antique table in the center of the room.

"Filling everyone in Alice?" Edward asked his sister with a raised accusatory eyebrow.

Smiling sheepishly, Alice disengaged herself from Jasper's embrace and flew across the room to her brother's side. "Well, it's not like it was going to be a secret much longer anyway."

Putting an arm around his sister's shoulders, Edward led her over to Emmett's desk where he was already pulling data on one Isabella Swan.

"There's the file that personnel had on her," Emmett informed as he motioned his head towards the papers on his desk. His finger's continued to fly across the state of the art computer keyboard that produced a multitude of images to the six flat panel monitors above.

Carlisle joined his wife and shared a secret smile with her as they watched Edward read the information.

"Her name is Isabella Swan," Edward said almost reverently as he sank down on the soft leather sofa next to his brother Jasper. "She's twenty-two and is a student at Portland College studying pre-law. Her emergency contact is listed as a Mike Newton."

"Mike Newton of the Seattle Seahawks?" Emmett asked as he turned away from his computer screens.

"It is a Seattle area code but that could just be a coincidence," Edward responded with a frown, not liking the idea of any man named Mike being an emergency contact for Isabella. "She lives on the east side of Portland."

"The east side?" Alice asked as she took a seat on the arm of the couch so she could look over Edward's broad shoulder to see the paper herself. "That's not a very safe neighborhood Edward."

"No it's not," Edward agreed as he tensed at the thought of Isabella living in such a high crime ridden area.

"Oh no," Esme gasped aloud as she stood frozen, staring at one of the images on Emmett's screen.

Edward rose slowly to make his way towards the screen so he could read the article.

_Black Convicted of Brewer Murder – March 23, 2003 - Portland Time Herald_

_Jacob Black, eighteen, was convicted today of second degree murder in the Portland District County Courthouse. Black was convicted by a jury in less than thirty minutes for the murder of Ronald Brewer. The murder took place on June 17__th__ 2002 in Brewer's girlfriend's home on the 43 hundred block of Washington Avenue. Brewer, 44 at the time of his death, was the live-in boyfriend of Black's foster mother Laverne Gartner. Also living in the home was sixteen year old Isabella Swan and seventeen year old Mike Newton who was recently awarded with the Heisman Trophy. _

_Both Swan and Newton were also foster children that had lived in the Gartner household for over a year. Black, who had only lived in the home for two months, had recently lost his father to cancer and was said by Gartner to be struggling with his father's death. Swan, who had been in the foster care system since she lost both her parents in an automobile accident when she was eight, had been shifted to thirteen different foster families over the last eight years. Mike Newton, whose mother died of a drug overdose when he was fourteen, had also been shuttled amongst several foster families before he settled into the Gartner household._

_The Black defense team was unable to sway the jury that Black was only defending Swan when the murder took place as he alleges he walked in on Brewer savagely beating Swan. While Swan did suffer multiple injuries and was admitted to Portland General Hospital for more than a week to recover from the removal of her spleen, the jury remained steadfast in their conviction that Black could have saved Swan without resorting to Brewer's murder. Sentencing for Black will be held on April 2._

Fury vibrated off Edward's tense frame as he pictured a sixteen year old version of Isabella being beaten in a home that was suppose to provide a safe and loving environment. How she must have suffered in losing her parents at such a young age and then to be shuttled from one family to the next with never having a sense of belonging.

"Edward?" Esme's soft voice called out to him gently as she placed a soothing hand upon his back. "Are you alright?"

Edward shook his head at his mother as he turned away from Emmett's computer screens. "No, but I will be," he said as he walked briskly out of the room.

"Where's he going?" Jasper asked as he watched the front door swing shut.

Alice all but beamed in her happiness. "He's going to meet his soul mate."

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Whoa! Where are the reviews? Okay so I guess I'll have to work up a following in the genre. Anyway…in the next chapter Edward and Bella finally meet. Oh and I must say that sparks will fly. Thanks for reading and please feel some pity and post a review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled**

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Three**

"Well?" Alice asked as she breezed into Edward's corner office with her long black lace skirt flowing elegantly behind her.

"Well what?" Edward grumbled as he glared across the room at his meddlesome sister for once not bothering to read her thoughts.

"Edward!" Alice moaned as she crossed the plush, beige carpet in order to perch herself on the corner of his desk. "What are you going to do about Isabella? For some reason I can't get a feel for what you are planning."

"Bella," Edward corrected as he leaned back in his black leather chair to better view his sister's inquiring gaze.

"Bella?" Alice asked with a quizzical look crossing her smooth, pale face.

"That's the name she uses; Bella," Edward informed her as he pushed a paper towards his sister. "And the reason you can't read my future is because I don't know what I'm going to do."

Picking up the paper Alice began to read. "Impressive," she said as she viewed the report on Bella's academic records from Portland College. "Why is she working as a cleaner?" she asked with a frown of confusion marring her brow as she handed the paper back to Edward.

"I wish I knew," Edward sighed deeply. "Not only does she work here, but she also has a full time job at a bakery and bartends at a sports bar most evenings. All that in addition to her class schedule."

"That would be a hard schedule for even one of us to keep," Alice observed with irony as she imagined Bella's daily schedule. "When does she have time to sleep?"

"I don't know," Edward replied somewhat tersely as he didn't want to think of all of the sacrifices that Bella was having to make in order to make something of her life. Getting up from his chair, he stalked over to a line of screens on the wall that showed a multitude of images courtesy of the numerous security cameras within the Cullen Communications Building.

Alice frowned after her brother, wondering what she could do to help. "Too bad you don't have a way to make her work load a little bit easier. "

Edward grunted noncommittally as he pushed his long elegant fingers restlessly though his bronze hair while he continued to stare unblinkingly at the screens in hopes to catch a glimpse of Bella at work.

Alice smiled widely as an idea popped into her head. "Edward," she called out questioningly.

Instantly on alert at his sister's tone, Edward turned to gaze cautiously at her. "Yes Alice?" he queried as he tried to gage her thoughts.

With a sassy smile, Alice slid off the desk to cross to his side. Linking her arms around one of his, she turned him to view one of the monitors that held Bella's image. Resting her chin upon his shoulder she whispered lightly into his ear, "Do you think you would be okay to work with Bella in the same room if I were here too? You could control your thirst couldn't you?"

"I think that if you were here to run interference I would be able to control my more animalistic urges," Edward conveyed dryly as he watched a bright smile alight his favorite sister's perfect lips at his answer. After a few silent seconds, Edward's own lips broke out into his signature crooked smile as he ascertained Alice's thoughts and saw the possibilities of her devious plan. Pulling her tightly into his arms , he twirled her in a circle around the room to her laughing delight. Setting her down gently, he pulled her into his embrace and whispered into her hair, "What would I ever do without you?"

"Well since fate has decreed that you will never have the chance, I guess we'll never know," she smiled back impishly. "Now, let's go over the details."

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Bella pulled her earphones from her ears as she watched the night security guard approach her with a smile.

"Hi I'm Charlie," he introduced himself as this was the first time he had seen the newest member of the cleaning staff.

Smiling, Bella returned the introduction to the gentle looking, older man. "Bella Swan."

"Mr. Cullen called down and asked if you could go up and help clean up a spill in his office," Charlie informed her.

"Sure," Bella responded immediately albeit a little nervously. "If you could just tell me where his office is, I would be happy to." Turning to her cart, she began to gather supplies into a bucket that would help clean up just about any stain.

Noticing her obvious nervousness Charlie hid his knowing smile. "Mr. Cullen's office is on the twenty-third floor. Once you get off the elevator you make a right and go to the end of the hall. There is a set of glass doors that you will need to go through and then his office is right beyond them." Charlie instructed as he began to walk her towards the elevator. "I'll have to let you up with my passkey."

"Passkey?" Bella asked unsure of what he meant.

"In order to get to the executive floor you need a passkey," he explained as he motioned her into an awaiting elevator and then inserted a key to activate the top button on the panel. "You only need it to go up so you won't have any problems coming back."

"Okay, thanks Charlie," Bella smiled as she held onto her bucket with both hands to hide their shaking.

"Bella," Charlie said with a grandfatherly grin upon his weathered features. "Mr. Cullen is kind of a private guy so don't be worried if he doesn't even notice you okay?"

Nodding her head, Bella released a pent up breath as she exchanged a grateful smile with Charlie.

"I'll see you back here soon," Charlie called out as the doors slid shut.

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"She's on her way now," Edward called out as he watched the monitor that held the image of Bella on the elevator.

"Okay, so where should I spill this?" Alice asked as she held up a cup of coffee.

"Anywhere," Edward instructed as he reached for the remote to turn off the screens.

"Done," Alice called as she emptied the mug onto the carpet.

Edward glanced down at the mess that Alice had made of his carpet and frowned. "I don't think that humans drink the grounds Alice."

Frowning, Alice looked at the brown stain that had a pile of coffee grounds littered within. "But isn't that how they make coffee? I know I've seen a commercial for an instant coffee where they just spoon it in and stir like I just did."

"Geez Alice!" Edward complained as he leaned down to scoop up the grounds as best he could. "Rebecca uses a filter so the grounds don't get into the coffee!"

"Well good for your secretary!" Alice sniped back at her brother, a little hurt that he didn't appreciate her efforts.

At the sound of the elevator ping, Edward froze and looked up at his sister with a light of fear in his beautiful eyes. "She's here," he whispered.

Pulled from her annoyance, Alice almost laughed out loud at the picture her normally self assured brother made as he remained frozen in place with his hands covered in coffee grounds. "The grounds Edward," she reminded him with a sweet little smile.

Shaking his head in confusion, Edward looked down at his pale hands and jumped up and left the room so quickly that any human would have been hard pressed to have seen him pass.

"Hello," Bella called out hesitantly as she entered through the glass double doors Charlie had referred to earlier.

"In here," Alice called as she watched Edward race towards his office chair to take a seat just a few seconds before Bella entered the office. _'Relax, you don't want her to think you're an idiot' _she brought the words into her mind so Edward could read her thoughts and hopefully calm himself_._

Smiling nervously as she entered the room, Bella paused as she looked to the floor in an attempt to block out the vision her eyes had beheld for just a brief second. As her heart threatened to beat out of her chest at simply being in the same room as the most beautiful man she had ever seen, she quickly went to work as she saw the stain she was summoned to clean. "I won't be but a moment," she said softly as she knelt on the carpet.

Alice watched in awe as Edward stared at Bella with a longing that went beyond anything that she had ever seen. '_Don't scare her off,' Alice warned him through her thoughts._

Recovering himself somewhat, he looked to Alice with a pleading look that went straight to her unbeating heart.

'_Just relax and follow my lead,' _she instructed silently.

Walking over the Bella, Alice smiled down as she held out her hand. "I don't think we've met before."

Bella looked up, slightly surprised. "No, I just started working here a few days ago," she replied as she took the breathtaking brunette's proffered hand.

"I'm Alice Cullen, Edward's sister." Alice introduced herself as she smiled gently.

"Bella Swan," Bella replied as she tried not to flinch at the coldness of Alice's hand.

Smiling, Alice wrinkled her nose playfully. "I know my hand is cold. It's a genetic thing in my family; low body temperature," she explained as she released Bella's hand.

Bella smiled silently in response.

"Have you met Edward yet?" Alice asked as she glanced over at Edward's unmoving form. _'Get up and introduce yourself!' _she instructed Edward with a sharp thought in her mind.

Frowning at some unspoken inner turmoil, Edward rose as he stared unblinkingly at Bella's kneeling form. Coming from around his desk, he was completely unaware of the picture of elegant grace he presented in his steel gray cashmere sweater and designer jeans.

Bella watched with an almost hypnotic gaze as Edward approached her silently. Her heart stilled within her chest as she felt an overwhelming crazy feeling, as if her life was about to change in the next few seconds.

Kneeling down to Bella's level, Edward held out his hand without once breaking his unblinking hold on her warm brown eyes.

Bella tentatively placed her hand in Edwards, feeling that in doing so she was making an unchangeable decision that once made could never be reversed. Her eyes left his inviting tawny colored eyes to glance down at their entwined hands. A rush of warmth and belonging washed over her as she felt for the first time an unexplained instant desire for a man. Drawing in a sharp breath, Bella quickly withdrew her hand in an attempt to end the uncomfortable feelings raging within her.

Edward frowned at her reaction, misreading it as a rejection.

Alice watched the scene unfolding with a sense of awe, for she had never seen such an instant flare of heated desire. '_Edward, say something!' _

"Welcome to Cullen Telecommunication's Bella," Edward said with a warm smile that caused Bella's heart to flutter lightly.

"Thank you Mr. Cullen," Bella replied as she returned his smile, feeling much more in control of herself now that he was no longer holding her hand.

"Please call me Edward," he instructed as he rose to put some distance between them as her actions deemed to indicate her preference.

"So Bella, tell me about yourself," Alice inquired as she sank down on the carpet next to Bella.

Bella looked at Alice in surprise, for she somehow didn't think that such a beautiful young woman should be sitting on the carpet in an obviously expensive skirt. "Well there's really not much to tell," Bella replied as she reached for the stain remover spray from her bucket.

Alice smiled at Bella's evasive reply and set about to question her as though she was an experienced interrogator. "Well let's start with are you married, committed or single?"

Bella almost choked on a laugh at the invasive question. "I'm single."

"Oh," Alice answered as she shot a meaningful glance at Edward. "I'm married myself," she offered with a happy smile. "So why do you choose to work in the middle of the night like Edward and I?"

Using a rag to blot the fading stain, Bella smiled at Alice's question. "Believe it or not, the hours are perfect for me. I attend Portland College during the day."

"What are you studying?" Alice asked with a keen interest in her gaze.

"I'm majoring in pre-law; if all goes according to plan I want to go to law school in two years," Bella answered with a wistfulness that caused Edward to clench his fist.

"What kind of law do you want to practice," Edward asked from across the room.

"Criminal law," Bella answered with an intent of undeniable purpose.

"Why Criminal law?" Edward asked softly with a look of complete attentiveness adorning his astonishingly handsome face.

"I've witnessed how the law can fail and I want to be able to change that," Bella answered with an edge of sadness to her words.

Edward couldn't take his eyes off her. Her human beauty and fragility seemed to be calling to him on some basic level that he knew he could not fight. "I imagine that you will," Edward answered after a short pause.

Bella looked up into Edward's intent gaze and smiled at the conviction he seemed to have for her and her dream of the future. "Thank you," she whispered with a soft smile that served to warm Edward unexplainably.

"Bella," Alice called out as she rose from the floor, "Do you know how to use a computer?"

Seeing that the spot had been successfully removed, Bella began to gather her cleaning supplies into her bucket. "Yes, we have to submit all of our assignments via email."

Alice turned to face Edward with a smug smile as if to congratulate herself on her success. "Edward, I bet Bella could fill the position of your night time assistant."

Edward winked conspiratorially at Alice before her turned his attentions to Bella. "Would you be interested in working as my assistant?"

"I'm not sure," Bella answered with a slight frown marring her smooth brow. "What exactly does the position entail?"

"Oh you just have to help him with his personal correspondence, answering emails and letters. Going through his personal mail and finances," Alice answered for Edward. "I've been doing it for him for the last few months but Jasper is getting a little put out by the late hours."

"Jasper?" Bella asked.

"Jasper is my husband," Alice answered with a slight nod to the intricate platinum ring adorning her left hand. "It's really easy and Edward's not so bad to work for," she said as she leaned up and put her arm around her six foot one brother.

"I'd probably need to talk with personnel first about leaving the cleaning service. They might not be able to replace me right away," Bella suggested with a cautious tone to her voice.

"I think that they would do a small favor for me," Edward stated with a slightly amused grin on his perfect face.

Bella blushed slightly at his amusement.

"Oh say yes Bella!" Alice encouraged as she bounced up and down like an excited child.

"Well," Bella hedged as she tried to imagine how she would be able to produce any quality work when she would be more than likely staring at her gorgeous boss the whole time.

"Please say yes," Edward pleaded gently as his eyes met and held hers in a mesmerizing gaze.

Feeling her heart still in her chest yet again, Bella heard herself accept his offer with a breathless, "Alright."

Edward wanted to grab her up in his arms to celebrate but settled for smiling at her warmly. "Shall we set your start date as tomorrow night, say nine?"

"Okay," Bella answered as she bent down to pick up her supplies, needing to leave the room before she embarrassed herself any further. "I'll be here."

"Wait," Alice called as she raced to Edward's desk. Walking to Bella's side she held out a strange looking key and small card. "Here is a passkey for the elevator to reach the twenty-third floor, and here is a card with Edward's private number if you need anything. I'll be training you for the next few days until you feel comfortable enough to be on your own with Edward."

Bella couldn't suppress the excited flutter in her stomach at the mention of her being on her own with Edward. Accepting the key and expensive looking business card that had Edward's name elegantly imprinted upon its surface from Alice, she offered a soft "Thank you ," as she gently ran her fingers over Edward's name.

Alice hid a smile as she watched Bella and Edward's attraction for each other unfolding before her eyes.

"I'll let personnel know about the change tomorrow morning," Edward said as he continued to watch Bella with an unconscious longing in his stare.

"Alright, I'd better get back down stairs," Bella said as she walked towards the elevator.

Edward followed her out of the office and pushed the button to summon the elevator for her, willing it to be at the ground floor in order to prolong his time with her. All too quickly the doors slid open.

Bella entered the elevator and looked up into the smiling face of her boss. "Good night," she offered softly.

Edward felt an instant heat of desire fill him at the softness of her voice. "Good night Bella," he answered with a slight tremble to his words. As the doors closed, Edward could have sworn that he saw her lips part on a quick intake of breath. Frowning he turned and made his way back to his office where Alice was waiting with a huge grin.

"Wow!" Alice imparted as she sank onto a large, black, leather sofa. "Talk about an instant attraction!"

"Oh God!" Edward groaned as he sank down on the sofa next to her, "Was I that obvious?"

Alice smiled at the dejected look of embarrassment on her beloved brother's face. "Only to me Edward."

Relaxing slightly, Edward leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I couldn't read her thoughts."

Alice sat up with a start. "What?" she questioned sharply.

"I couldn't read her mind, and believe me I tried," Edward answered with a slightly aggravated tone.

"Well that's strange," Alice muttered as she settled back into the soft, inviting leather.

"Tell me about it," Edward commented dryly. "The one person whose thoughts I want to know most in the world is the one I can't read."

"Ah, maybe it's fate dealing your poor Bella an even hand." Alice suggested with an amusement that caused Edward to frown in her direction.

"Perhaps so," Edward commented after a moment.

"So I guess we had better plan out phase two," Alice advised with a mischievous smile that would soon become a familiar sight to her brother in the coming weeks.

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A/N Hope you like Bella and Edward's first meeting. Next chapter is Bella's first night as Edward's assistant. Thanks for the review on the last chapter. I really appreciate the feedback.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **(I've got a Beta on board so you won't have to suffer my horrible grammar errors any longer! So a huge big Thank you to SNU!)

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Four**

"Okay, so what do you think?" Alice asked with her hands on her slim hips as she awaited her brother's opinion.

"It looks nice," Edward commented almost absently as he glanced briefly at the hand carved, cherry-wood desk that Alice had placed directly outside his office.

"Nice!" Alice huffed back as she shot Edward an annoyed look. "I'll have you know that this is over two hundred years old and is a priceless antique."

"I said it was nice," Edward replied with an amused smile creasing his perfect face. "Is the computer up and running?"

"Yes, someone from IT came in and set it up this afternoon," Alice answered as she pulled a loose petal from one of the three dozen yellow roses exquisitely arranged in a Waterford crystal vase on Bella's desk. "I think we're all set."

"Good," Edward answered in the same tone as he used when he commented on the desk.

With her lips drawn into a tight line to show her irritation at his lack of interest in all of her preparations, Alice turned to glare at her bothersome brother. What she saw instantly caused her features to soften in a look of understanding, for no matter how anxious she was to please Bella, it was obvious that Edward was experiencing some far deeper emotions at the moment. "Edward, are you okay?" she asked softly, with a wealth of worry in her tone.

Frowning, Edward looked up sharply into Alice's concerned gaze. "I'm just a little nervous," he admitted with a deep sigh.

"Well don't be," She advised as she crossed the short distance between them to lightly kiss his hard cold cheek. "No matter what happens I'll be here."

"I'm counting on it," Edward responded as he tweaked her nose affectionately. "I just don't want to scare her away. I think that I will have to go very slowly with her if I want her to even begin to think of me as more than just her boss."

"Oh, Edward!" Alice exclaimed with a look of complete bewilderment crossing her beautiful, pale features. "You really didn't notice how she reacted to you last night did you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked as he looked down at her with a look of intense concentration.

Shaking her head, Alice smiled gently. "Didn't you hear her heartbeat when you came near her?"

"Yes, but that was just because she was a little frightened of me. Most human females' hearts begin to race when I come into contact with them," Edward offered as he continued to watch the look of complete astonishment on his sister's face.

"You know Edward," Alice began as she walked into his office. "Sometimes you can be about the stupidest man I've ever known."

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Bella frowned at her reflection in the elevator doors, not at all sure that her simple black skirt and white button down shirt was appropriate for her new position as Edward's personal assistant. _What was I thinking!_ She silently admonished herself as she wondered just how she was going to be able to function in such a close proximity to the astonishingly handsome Edward Cullen. The ping of the elevator caused her to draw in a deep breath to try to bank down her nervousness before the doors slid open.

"She's here," Alice called excitedly to Edward as she rushed to the opening elevator doors to greet Bella. "Hi Bella!" she said as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet like an excited child.

Somewhat dismayed at Alice's enthusiastic greeting, Bella paused before she stepped out of the elevator with a soft smile. "Hi Alice," she returned the greeting.

"I've got your desk all set up and ready to go," Alice advised as she grabbed Bella's hand to pull her anxiously through the glass doors leading to Edward's offices.

Edward stood leaning against his open office door with an unconscious inherit grace in his elegant roll neck ivory sweater and jeans. "Good evening Bella," he called out with a melodic tone as his mesmerizing gaze met and held Bella's prisoner.

Bella felt her heartbeat accelerate at the sound of Edward's voice. Unable to pull her eyes from his, she returned his greeting shyly. "Good evening Mr. Cullen."

With a slight frown, Edward strode forward, careful to match his steps as though he were a human. "You have to call me Edward, Bella," he instructed as he politely indicated that he wanted to take her worn wool coat from her shoulders.

"Thank you," she smiled as she allowed him to draw the coat from her.

Alice watched the exchange between Bella and her brother with a gleeful look in her golden eyes. _'See, I told you she wasn't immune to you,'_ she silently conveyed to Edward via her thoughts. "So Bella, I thought we could start with Edward's invitations."

"Okay," Bella answered as she took the chair that Alice indicated behind a beautiful antique desk. "This desk is exquisite," she commented as she ran her fingers caressingly across one of the hand carved drawers.

Alice beamed at her, at last receiving the reaction she wanted for her efforts. "I know! I can't believe that I was able to secure it without a bidding war erupting at Sotheby's."

"The flowers are breathtaking," Bella whispered reverently as she drew in a deep breath to pull in the enticing scent.

"Those are from Edward," Alice advised.

Looking up Bella smiled gently towards Edward. "Thank you, no one has ever given me flowers before," she said with a softness that caused Edward's chest to fill with joy.

"You're welcome," he replied in a gentle tone that Alice had never heard him use before. "Can I get you anything Bella? Coffee, tea …" Edward asked as he stood poised on the threshold to his office.

With a slightly puzzled expression, Bella wondered why her billionaire boss would be asking her if she needed a drink. "No thank you Edward," she answered with a soft smile that traveled up to her gentle eyes, thus causing Edward to lose his train of thought for one of the first times in his existence.

Alice bit her lip to hold back the laugh that threatened. "We'll bring the invitations in when we've got them sorted Edward," she advised as she watched her brother shake his head slightly as if to clear out the cobwebs.

"Okay," Edward acknowledged as he turned to enter his office in hopes that he wouldn't make more of a fool of himself in front of Bella.

"Okay," Alice began as she reached for a large box holding a multitude of unopened envelopes. "Let's start by opening these first and then we'll sort them."

Reaching for a large stack, Bella began to open the thick envelopes with a letter opener. "I guess your brother is pretty popular," she suggested with a telling glance at the volume of correspondence.

"I guess so," Alice mused as she continued pulling the unopened letters from the box. "It's more like they want his money more than anything else."

"I guess there are people out there like that," Bella responded with a deep sigh.

"Well, those and then there are the others," Alice commented as she began to open one of the large stacks in front of her.

"Others?" Bella queried with a slight tilt to her head.

"The ones after his body," Alice replied with a wicked grin on her perfect lips.

"Alice," Bella called out with a slightly admonishing tone as a blush began to creep up into her cheeks.

"Well it's true," Alice said with a comical expression. "You should see how they swarm around him, like he is some Greek god or something."

"Well you have to admit he is absolutely gorgeous," Bella imparted as she watched Alice make a face.

"I guess," Alice added noncommittally as she watched Bella closely for her reactions. '_See, she is totally hot for you!' _Alice shot the thought at Edward without once breaking her concentration on the verbal conversation she was sharing with Bella.

Edward couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his perfect face as he eavesdropped on Alice and Bella's conversation. Perhaps there was hope after all, he thought as he leaned back in his leather chair.

"So tell me about your day," Alice instructed as they continued to work.

"Not much to tell," Bella began with a slight wrinkle of her nose. "I had three classes and helped my boss make six wedding cakes."

"Wedding cakes?" Alice asked with a slight raise to one of her perfectly arched eyebrows.

"I work in a bakery," Bella informed.

"So you have two jobs and go to college," Alice stated with a look of wonder on her pale face.

"Actually I bartend on Friday and Saturday nights as well," Bella added as she finished with her first stack of invitations.

Alice stopped her work to focus her soul attention on Bella. "Well when do you sleep?" she asked with an air of astonishment.

Laughing softly at Alice's expression, Bella reached for another stack of envelopes. "I'm one of those lucky people who only need about four to five hours in order to function."

Edward scowled in his office at the information that Bella was foretelling on her hectic daily life.

"I guess you don't have a lot of time for socializing," Alice said in more of a matter of fact tone than a question.

"No, not really. But my friend Mike comes down on Friday and Saturday nights to visit me while I'm working at the bar," Bella offered easily.

Edward jumped up from his reclining position to move towards the door so he could see Bella's face when she talked about this 'Mike' person, whom he now instantly counted as an enemy.

"Mike?" Alice asked while shooting Edward a warning to stay in his office as she heard him moving towards the open doorway.

"My foster brother," Bella answered automatically. "He is a running back for the Seattle Seahawks."

"That's football right?" Alice asked as she finished her stack.

"Yes," Bella smiled as she thought of Mike's wounded reaction if he had heard the beautiful Alice's question.

"So Mike was your foster brother," Alice prompted Bella to continue.

Bella smiled knowingly as Alice continued to lightly pump her for information. "Yes, we've known each other for a quite a few years now."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you end up in foster care?" Alice asked as she put down the envelope she was opening to give Bella her full attention.

Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Bella averted her eyes from Alice's expectant features. "I lost my parents in a car accident when I was eight," she answered with a still yet unhealed pain evident in her voice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Alice whispered as she reached out and placed a cold hand upon Bella's shoulder.

"Me too, Bella" Edward whispered quietly to himself as he felt her pain wash over him as though it were a tangible, touchable force.

"It's was a long time ago," Bella said with a forced bravado that didn't serve to fool either of the two people who were both wishing there was something within their powers to make up for her loss.

"So you've known Mike since you were eight then?" Alice asked as she picked up her halfway opened envelope.

"No, I only met Mike when we were place in the same foster home when I was fifteen." Bella informed Alice with a tenseness that didn't go unnoticed by Edward.

"You really don't like to talk about that time do you?" Alice asked gently as she took in the sorrow reflected in Bella's brown eyes.

"No, there are some memories of that time that I would rather not have to think about," Bella replied in a small quiet far away voice.

Alice shot Edward a quick thought, '_Oh Edward! She must really have had it rough to be still carrying around this much pain after so many years.'_

Edward clenched his hands into tight fists in an attempt to curb the urge to smash something; preferably the unseen face of the man who now laid dead that had dared to touch his Bella at the age of fifteen. A sense of unfulfilled justice filled him as he continued to stand in a tense, unmoving rage.

"I'm sorry that I brought this all up Bella," Alice apologized sincerely as she watched Bella with a concern that was both genuine and heartfelt.

Feeling warmed by Alice's obvious concern, Bella smiled softly. "It's okay," she replied quickly. "I'm finished so now what should I do?"

Seeing that they had at least one hundred invitations to go through Alice sighed deeply. "Well I guess we'd better start sorting them. First pile is for fundraisers, the second is for business functions, third - political candidates or causes, the fourth is press related, which Edward never entertains so we can just send regrets on those without having to let him know about them, and finally the last pile will be for personal invitations."

"Alright," Bella agreed as she began to sort the three large stacks in front of her into five smaller piles.

Alice's eyes lit with an inner light of inspiration as she spied a familiar looking invitation within the pile. "I'm going to check on Edward while you finish this up okay?" Alice asked as she rose gracefully from her chair.

"Sure," Bella responded without looking up from her task.

Alice all but danced across the short distance to Edward's office. "I've got another idea," she whispered excitedly.

Edward's own face broke out into a matching grin as he read her thoughts on the upcoming Portland General Hospital's Winter Ball. "Do you think she'll say yes?"

"Oh with the right persuasion I think she will," Alice answered confidently as she plotted just the right words to use in order to secure Bella's acceptance.

"How long do we have?" Edward asked as he went to take a seat behind his desk.

"About twenty minutes," Alice predicted as she took a seat on the corner of Edward's desk as was her custom.

"Well what's the plan?" Edward asked with a light of determination in his golden eyes.

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Bella rose from her desk and crossed the soft beige carpet to the threshold of Edward's office. "I've finished the sorting," she announced as her eyes met and held Edward's. _Geez Bella, he's going to think you're a psycho if you don't stop staring at him! _She admonished herself silently.

"Great!" Alice called out as she hopped off the desk to land elegantly on her black, ballerina-flats clad feet. "Come on Edward, it will be easier if you come to Bella's desk then for us to try to bring them in here."

Rising to his feet, Edward crossed the room while holding his breath, knowing that he couldn't sustain a close proximity to Bella just yet with the desire to feed on her blood so temptingly close to the surface.

Bella took her chair and watched Edward sink into a chair across the room reserved for visitors and business associates who had to await his attentions. "So what do you have for me?" he questioned with such an uncommonly sensual tone that Bella felt an instant flutter within the pit of her stomach.

Seeing Bella was once again effected by her handsome brother's presence Alice intervened. "Let's start with the fundraisers. Bella, just call out the name of the organization and Edward will tell you if he wants to attend or not and how much of a contribution he would like to make. If he agrees to attend, you will then need to see if he is available from his calendar on the computer and then insert the event to mark the date and time in the system. If you could also make a note on the invitation, we can then go back through them and RSVP and request the checks from our accounts payables department."

"Alright," Bella agreed as she picked up the invitations in the first pile. "The Portland Historical Association Annual Silent Auction on Saturday November 29th at two."

"Let's pass on that one and send a donation of $5,000 from CT," Edward answered quickly without taking his eyes off Bella's down bent head. _God she is so beautiful,_ he thought as a look of intense longing crossed his exquisite pale face.

'_Watch yourself Bro,'_ Alice warned silently as she watched Edward's reactions to Bella.

Collecting himself, Edward looked down at his hands wondering what it would feel like to run them through Bella's waist length auburn hair. _'Edward!' _Alice screamed silently within his head causing a slightly guilty smile to cross his lips.

"The next one is for the Portland General Hospital Winter Ball, November 29th at eight," Bella announced as she pulled the date up on her state of the art computer.

Alice laughed wickedly at Edward, causing Bella to look up from the computer screen with a quizzical expression on her pretty face. "Sorry Bella," Alice apologized immediately for her secret joke. "This is the one event a year that Edward would prefer not to attend but has to because our brother Carlisle is the director of the Cardiac Department."

Bella smiled at the look of consternation on Edward's beautiful face and asked, "Why don't you want to attend?"

"I just don't," he replied with an abnormal sullenness that caused Alice to whoop in renewed laughter.

After collecting herself, Alice turned to explain to Bella. "Every year there is a certain female hospital administrator who thinks that when Edward comes to the Ball without a date that it is her job to make sure that he is ah…properly entertained," Alice offered with an amused glance towards her scowling brother.

Bella smiled at the enjoyment that was so clearly evident on Alice's face. "So why don't you just take a date?" she asked simply.

"Uh…" Edward began only to be interrupted by a gleeful Alice.

"Because Edward doesn't date," she said with an accusatory glance in her brother's fuming direction.

"That's not true," Edward began only to be stopped sharply by a very unladylike snort from Alice.

"Tell me then Edward, when was the last time you went on a date?" she asked with a pinning stare.

"I took Tanya to the Black and White Ball just last month," he shot back with an air of 'I told you so'.

"Ha! That doesn't count, she's our cousin!" Alice called him out triumphantly.

Edward grumbled something under his breath as he looked away from Bella's surprised and Alice's smug expressions.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence Bella asked if she should accept the invite. "So should I RSVP a yes to this one?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes," Edward sighed grimly as though he were committing himself to a fate worse than death.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Alice interjected before Bella had finished adding the date to Edward's calendar.

"What?" Edward eyed her suspiciously.

"You could take Bella to the Ball and she could run interference between you and Ms. Hot-for-you-Administrator," Alice advised with a look of complete lack of regard to the embarrassment of either Bella or Edward.

"That would work," Edward said after a short pause.

Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his acceptance of Alice's suggestion.

"That is if you would be agreeable Bella?" Edward asked as he looked deep into her eyes as if to somehow will her into acceptance.

"Well," Bella began cautiously as she tried to come up with a reason to say no. "I really don't have anything to wear that would be suitable for such an event," she said after a moment's hesitation.

"Oh that is easily taken care of," Alice refuted quickly. "You and I look about the same size so you can just borrow something of mine or we could always hit Rosalie up for something."

Seeing that her first argument had gotten her nowhere, Bella came up with another, "I'm not sure if I could take the night off from the bar."

"Well if you could, you would sure be helping poor old Edward out," Alice advised as she pulled the guilt card from her arsenal.

Frowning at the thought of not helping out her new boss, Bella relented. "I guess they do kind of owe me a day off," she said as she glanced beneath her lashes at Edward's beaming face.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you Bella," Edward's voice purred softly, causing Bella to once again stare helplessly into his inviting eyes.

"I know a way," Alice prompted with a look of delight. "You are going to send me and Bella for a complete day of beauty the day of the Ball."

"Seems the least I could do," Edward agreed with a satisfied smile while his eyes continued their unrelenting hold on Bella's.

"It's all settled then," Alice said as she turned to share a triumphant wink with Edward. Pulling the RSVP card from the desk she wrote in an elegant script as she voiced the words out loud "Mr. Edward Cullen will be delighted to accept on behalf of himself and his guest, Bella Swan."

Bella felt a wave of alarm wash over her as she pictured herself as Edward's date for an entire evening, even if it was just a date for show purposes. _God Bella! Just what have you gotten yourself into? _She asked herself silently while she continued to update the computer's calendar with the date that would more than likely be the night that she became the world's biggest fool.

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A/N The next chapter will be the big date and we can finally get our two character's into each other's arms…dancing is an essential part of a Ball after all. Oh and we will also get to meet the somewhat jealous Rosalie. The story will really start moving now. Please, Please, Please review. I am trying to get a following in the Twilight category and don't seem to be having much luck as of yet so if you could please just shoot me a mercy review I would appreciate it. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Five**

Alice stood staring at her reflection in a three way mirror as her sister inserted yet another pin into the hem of her latest design. "Oh Rosalie, you have really outdone yourself with this one," Alice complemented as she ran her hand over the delicate layers of pale blue chiffon fabric.

"Yes, it is one of my best," Rosalie responded with a flick to her perfectly styled, platinum blond hair.

"So what are you going to be wearing?" Alice asked as she stepped down from a platform to cross to the dressing room in Rosalie's design showroom.

"I think I'll wear something other than mine," Rosalie responded with a bored expression gracing her faultless face. "Maybe a vintage Valentino."

After changing back into her jeans and high-necked ivory lace blouse, Alice emerged from the dressing room. "Do you think you will have time tomorrow to show Bella some dresses?" Alice asked as she checked her cell phone for missed calls.

"I don't think that I will be able to help Edward's assistant with her quest for a dress," Rosalie informed with a malice that served to surprise Alice.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked as she looked up to better judge Rosalie's intent.

"Well you must know that being a top designer I have to be careful who is seen in my designs," Rosalie imparted with a short little laugh. "I mean come on Alice! I'd be the laughing stock of the fashion industry if I allowed a nobody like this Bella person to wear one of my dresses at a function such as the hospital's annual ball."

"I can assure you Rosalie that Bella is not a 'nobody'," Alice shot back with an ominous glare in her usually loving brown eyes.

With a deep sigh, Rosalie crossed the room to her sister's side. "Oh Alice, I didn't mean to offend you," she said with a conciliatory expression adorning her astonishingly striking features. "It's just that I don't think it's a good idea for us to be socializing with the hired help."

Alice's frame tensed at the ugly side that Rosalie was revealing of herself at the moment. "Rosalie, I can't believe that you just said that."

"What?" Rosalie asked with a feigned look of innocence in her expression.

"If you don't want to lend Bella a dress that's fine, but don't stand there and act like any of us are better than her," Alice advised with an unmistakable challenge in her tone.

"Now don't get all high and mighty on me. I am entitled to an opinion on this Bella person whom Edward has seemed to go crazy for," Rosalie snarled as her eyes took on a peculiar threatening look. "And you should have asked first before you offered one of my dresses," Rosalie said with a haughtiness that set Alice's teeth on edge.

"I wouldn't have thought that you would have had any objection to doing a favor for me or Edward," Alice responded with a slightly disgusted tone at her sister's reaction to letting Bella borrow a dress.

"Of course I don't begrudge a favor to you or Edward, but why should I go out of my way to help someone who should know her place and not be attending an event that is reserved for high society," Rosalie tossed back with an air of superiority that she felt her due.

Appalled at Rosalie's comment Alice stalked towards the door to put as much distance between herself and her uncooperative sister as possible before she lost her temper.

"I didn't say she couldn't borrow a dress," Rosalie called after her departing sister with a smug look in her coal black eyes as Alice slammed the door hard after her exit.

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"I don't think that I really need all of this," Bella began protesting as Alice continued to hold up several different earrings to Bella's ears in order to judge the best match.

"Of course you do," Alice said decisively. "Ah this one is it!"

Bella looked at the large sapphire drop earring with a skeptical look. "Can't I just wear the first one you tried?" she asked with a slightly pleading look in her warm brown eyes.

"The pearl studs?" Alice asked with a slight frown gracing her raspberry tinted lips.

Smiling almost apologetically, Bella nodded in acquiescence.

Looking at the vast array of one of a kind pieces lain out before her, Alice sighed in defeat as her gaze settled on the simple white pearls buttons surrounded by small diamonds and rubies, "Alright. Can you please put those on Edward's account Steven?" Alice asked the very distinguished man who had provided the large selection of jewelry based on Edward's request.

"Yes, Mrs. Hale," Steven responded professionally without showing his disappointment that the other young woman hadn't selected a pricier piece to increase his commission.

"Come on Bella," Alice called as she ushered Bella towards a modern freestanding staircase that led to the upper loft area of her and Jasper's home. "We need to get you in your gown before Edward gets here."

Bella glanced at her watch and seeing that it was already a few minutes past seven, rushed after Alice's petite form; as Edward was due to arrive at seven thirty.

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Edward paced the foyer with an uncustomary agitation that Jasper found utterly amusing. "So Edward," he began as he decided that he would enjoy himself at his brother's expense. "What's with all the pacing? You're not nervous are you?"

Edward froze in place as he shot an irritated glance at Jasper's mocking face. "Shut up Jasper!" Edward growled back.

Laughing at Edward's response, Jasper rose and walked towards his obviously nervous brother to place a supportive arm around his shoulders. "Oh come on Edward, you know that it's not every day that I see you act like a normal…human."

Shrugging off Jasper's arm, Edward crossed to the black leather sofa and sank down while he lifted his gaze towards the staircase in hopes that Bella would finally appear. "What's taking so long?" he asked with an irritated tone that caused Jasper to bite his lip to forestall his chuckle so as to not further incite Edward's ill mood.

"I honestly don't know," Jasper said as he too crossed the room to sink down into a chair to await his wife. "Alice was out the door at eight this morning, so I don't know what they could have possibly done all day."

"Since eight?" Edward asked with a stunned expression. "What did they need to do that it would take eleven and a half hours?"

Jasper laughed at Edward's expression. "Well from what I've gathered from Alice, there were manicures and pedicures, hair and makeup, the dress and other shopping ventures."

"I thought Rosalie was going to provide a dress," Edward asked with a frown marring his brow as he began to read the thoughts that Jasper was trying valiantly to hide.

"Yes well, Alice decided to choose something other than a Rosalie this year," Jasper said quickly as he rose from his chair to cross the room and stand at the foot of the stairs.

Rage entered into Edward's face as he read the replay of Jasper and Alice's conversation regarding Rosalie's refusal to allow Bella to borrow a dress. "I'll have a talk with Rosalie this evening," Edward promised just as Alice and Bella began to descend the staircase.

Bella drew in a deep breath, at least as deep a breath that her form fitting Vera Wang crimson dress would allow as she descended the stairs. Holding tightly to the stair rail, she carefully maneuvered her Prada strappy silver shoes down the stairs.

Edward felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach at the vision that Bella made when she entered his line of sight, for he had never seen a more beautiful woman in all his existence. Without taking his hungry eyes from her, he rose so stiffly that one would have wondered if he were made of stone. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he waited until she reached the bottom step before he whispered her name with a reverence that barely hinted at the intense emotions he was feeling in this, one of the most memorable moments of his life. "Bella."

Bella was so absorbed in not falling off her three and a half inch heels that she didn't know that Edward was awaiting her arrival at the bottom of the steps until she heard him whisper her name. Smiling almost shyly, she greeted her boss while trying to get a grip on her run away heartbeat. "Hi Edward."

Taking her hand in his, he leaned down and bestowed a gentle kiss that served to cause Bella's already racing heart to skip a beat. "You are truly the most beautiful vision I have ever seen," Edward said with such an honest sincerity that Alice had to look away from the private moment in order to collect herself.

Feeling a little overwhelmed at Edward's actions, Bella looked away from his hypnotic golden gaze in order to get a grip on her emotions. "I really can't take any of the credit," she said as she stepped down the last step so that she was level with Edward. "Alice was the one who did all of the hard work."

Alice gracefully descended the stairs in her stunning off one shoulder, ivory Dior gown. "That's not true Edward," she announced as she leaned over to kiss her brother on his cold cheek. "Bella was a real trooper allowing me to play dress up all day with her, I can't think of when I have enjoyed myself more."

Bella laughed at the impish grin on Alice soft pixie face, glad that she had pleased her new friend.

"Shall we go?" Jasper asked as he held out Bella's black evening coat to Edward before assisting Alice into her own coat.

Edward held out the coat and slowly drew it up her arms to settle it around her shoulders as he drew in a deep, intoxicating breath. A heavy, all-encompassing need filled him as he clenched his teeth in order to control his instant lust for Bella's blood.

'Easy Edward,' Alice thought urgently as she correctly read her brother's struggle.

Jasper's gift of imposing his feelings upon others immediately sent out a feeling of calm.

Bella, unaware of the strong undercurrents going on around her swayed unevenly as the room began to spin around her. Lifting a hand to her brow, she swayed once more and would have fallen to the floor if Edward's strong arms hadn't caught and held her to his strong cold body.

A look of intense concern instantly replaced the former ferocious hunger in his eyes as he swept Bella's trembling form into his arms. "Bella," he called out in an alarmed tone that testified to his fear for the woman in his arms.

"What's the matter?" Alice asked urgently as she flew to Bella's side.

"I don't know," Edward answered tersely as he crossed the room to place an unconscious Bella upon the black leather sofa. "Get Carlisle on the phone."

Jasper handed his cell phone to Edward who quickly related Bella's symptoms to an awaiting Carlisle. "She looks so pale Carlisle," he said with an uncharacteristic tremor to his voice. "Okay, I'll see you in a moment."

"What did he say?" Alice asked as she sank down to her knees beside Edward's kneeling form.

"He said just to keep her flat and that he will be here in a few minutes," Edward answered with a distinct edge of worry in his tone.

"Okay," Alice agreed as she reached out to place her hand on Bella's pale cheek.

Bella felt as if she were swimming beneath a heavy thick blanket as she began to surface back to consciousness. "Oh," she winced as a sharp pain throbbed through her head.

"Lay still," Edward ordered sharply as a fear that he had never experienced spread through him at lightning speed.

"Edward?" Bella asked as she opened her eyes to see that both he and Alice were leaning over her with an undeniable anxiousness alighting both of their golden gazes. "What happened?"

"You passed out Bella," Alice answered with a slight smile that did little to erase the tension in her beautiful face.

"Oh, I guess I should have taken some time to eat something," Bella answered as she began to rise into a sitting position.

"When did you last eat?" Edward asked with a look of barely leashed rage directed at Alice's guilty face.

Unaware of the unspoken conversation going on between Edward and Alice, Bella answered in a small, slightly embarrassed voice. "Yesterday, at lunch."

"Yesterday," Edward whispered with a slight edge as he arose to withdrawal his cell phone in order to talk with Carlisle.

"I'm really sorry Alice," Bella began an apology with a plea in her warm brown eyes.

Flushing guiltily, Alice shook her head. "It's all my fault Bella, I ran you all over Portland today without once thinking that you needed to eat."

"You didn't eat either," Bella reminded Alice with a knowing smile. "I'm okay now."

Alice looked sick as she rose to turn and stare at the very angry brother. _'I'm so sorry Edward,'_ she thought silently.

Jasper crossed to her side to place a supporting arm around her slumping shoulders.

"Carlisle is bringing some orange juice he squeezed from a centerpiece that Esme had on the dining room table," Edward whispered so softy that only Alice and Jasper could hear his words.

"Edward," Alice whispered with a pleading that failed to crack the look of anger on Edward's face.

"Not now," he growled at Alice.

Bella watched the three most beautiful people she had ever seen deep in a private conversation and wondered why there seemed to be such a strange tension between them. "Edward," she whispered as she rose from the sofa on her now supportive legs.

"Bella," Edward called out as he instantly came to her side to place a protective arm around her waist should she feel faint again.

"I'm so sorry. I was foolish to skip so many meals," she said with a slight laugh at her own expense in hopes of easing the tension within the room. "I'm ready to leave now."

Edward frowned at the woman who he held so protectively within his arms. "Carlisle is coming over to check you out," he announced as he led her back to the sofa and gently pushed her into a seated position.

Groaning in embarrassment, Bella dropped her face into her hands, which caused Edward to sink down onto the sofa beside her with an instantaneous look of distress entering his eyes.

"What?" Edward asked with fear once again lacing his words.

"I can't believe that I'm about to meet your brother in such an embarrassing way," she said as she looked through her fingers at Edwards perfect face. "I mean, just imagine what he is going to think of me."

Edward felt as if someone had lifted the weight of the world off his shoulders as he looked into her apprehensive gaze. "He's going to think you're beautiful just like I do," Edward imparted as he leaned down to press his cold lips to the top of her down bent head.

Bella felt an unexplainable warmth spread through her as Edward held her gently to his hard masculine frame, which struck her as odd since his body temperature seemed to be abnormally cold like his sister Alice.

"Edward," Esme called out as she and Carlisle entered.

"In here," Edward called towards his mother as he continued to watch Bella with a tenderness that spoke irrefutably of the new found love in his heart.

Esme entered the room with an unequaled elegance in her manor. Her upswept caramel-blond hair served to only enhance the soft beauty of her flawless face, while her navy-blue Rosalie original hugged her perfect figure to perfection. "How is she?" she questioned as she leant down to hand Bella a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice.

"She seems to be better but I still want Carlisle to examine her," Edward said as he met his mother's worried eyes.

"Honey," Esme called out to her handsome husband.

"Coming," Carlisle announced as he swept into the room with much the same effortless elegance that all the Cullen men seemed to possess. "You must be Edward's Bella," he said as he opened his bag to pull out his stethoscope.

"Yes," Bella said a little uneasily in being referred to as 'Edward's Bella'.

Edward frowned at what Bella must be thinking of his family and himself for that matter as she took in their acceptance that she was already his.

"Do you have a headache Bella?" Carlisle asked with his professional doctor's tone.

"Yes," Bella answered truthfully and almost wished she hadn't as she felt Edward's arms tense around her.

"Carlisle?" Edward questioned impatiently, his worried eye's seeking a medical conformation that Bella would be alright.

"I believe that she just needs to get some sugar into her system," he announced as he took up her wrist just for show, as he had already counted the beats of her heart and calculated the rate of her pulse. "If you could please make sure she eats before you take her to the ball, then she will be just fine."

"I'll make sure she eats, but we're not going to the ball," Edward stated as he watched Carlisle begin to put away his medical supplies into his bag.

"Oh Edward," Alice complained before she could help herself.

Edward shot Alice a heated look to convey his still barely simmering below the surface anger for her thoughtlessness in caring for Bella throughout the day.

'_I'm sorry,'_ she shot him the thought in her head only to be rebuffed by yet another blazing look from her brother.

"Edward," Bella called to him softly as she didn't like the unspoken exchange the he and Alice seemed to be engaged in. "I'd really like to go if you still want to take me."

Looking down into Bella's soft, warm gaze Edward felt all of his anger drain away. Lifting his hand, he gently brushed the back of his fingers against her soft, pale cheek. "Are you sure you're up for an evening out?" he questioned her with a look of complete adoration in his smooth pale face.

"Of course," Bella said as she smiled at Edward.

Alice leaned down and gave Bella a quick hug. "I'm so glad you're feeling better enough to go Bella."

"Me too," Bella said with a conspiratorial wink with her new friend.

Jasper grabbed up Alice's coat and held it out to her. "We'd better get a move on then."

Edward released his hold on Bella and stood with his hand outstretched to her with an intense look of pleading in his eyes, as if he were requesting more from her than just her hand to assist her.

Bella felt a strange undercurrent as she gazed up into Edward's unblinking, passionate stare. Her heart once again began to race as she felt as though he was asking something from her that would change both of their lives from this day forward. Lifting her own trembling hand, she placed it trustingly into his with an odd expression of undeniable awe on her face.

Pulling her gently to her feet, Edward leaned down and whispered softly into her ear, "Ready?"

Bella drew in a startled breath at the feeling of electric excitement coursing through her body like a live wire, her intuition instantly telling her that Edward was asking her if she were indeed ready for what the future had destined for them both.

Reaching up she traced the side of his face softly with her fingertips. With a look of wonder in her eyes, she answered his life changing question. "Yes Edward, I'm ready."

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A/N Yay! Now it really starts! Hope you liked Edward and Bella finally getting connected so to speak. Next chapter the ball and of course mean old Rosalie will have some nastiness to throw out at our poor Bella.

that failed to hinder the vision he created in an elegant tuxedo that hugged his masculine frame to perfection.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **(Super fast edit on this one, My Beta Rocks!)

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Six**

Edward's hands clenched the steering wheel tightly as he surreptitiously studied the young woman's ordering pattern from the car before him in the drive-thru lane of one of the nation's most popular fast food restaurants.

"I'm really sorry to be such a bother," Bella apologized as she misread the tight expression on Edwards' face.

"It's no bother Bella," Edward gently rebuffed her apology as he silently chastised himself to be more conscious of his expressions as she seemed to have an uncanny way of telling what he was thinking; something that was out of the norm in his experience as he was usually the one to read peoples' thoughts. "Do you know what you would like?" he asked as he turned his stunning golden eyes to her.

Bella looked ahead at the brightly lit menu board. "I'll just take a number one combo," she advised offhandedly, not really caring what she ordered as she was still a little embarrassed by all of the drama she created back at Alice's house.

Edward looked at the picture of a hamburger teamed with fries and repressed a shudder at the revolting site. Inching his black Aston Martin V12 Vanquish up a few feet in the lane, he completed the order in much the same way the previous customer had and only stumbled once on the question regarding a beverage selection.

Pulling up to the window he nodded briefly to the teenage boy manning the window as he reached inside his tuxedo jacket to withdraw his wallet.

"DUDE! You're driving an Aston Martin!" he called out excitedly with a look of pure joy on his face. "Roy," he yelled back to another young man who was holding a bag of fries. "This guy's driving an Aston Martin!"

Edward frowned at the unwelcome attention his car was generating and drew in a breath in order to bank down his frustration.

Bella smiled at the site of the two young boys hanging their heads out the window in order to get a better look at Edward's car.

"That is one sweet ride Sir," the boy whom Edward assumed to be 'Roy' remarked with a look of complete awe upon his young face.

"Thank you," Edward replied quietly. "How much did you say our order was?" he asked in an attempt to bring the fawning boys attention back to the task at hand.

"Oh sorry," the first boy apologized as he shoved Roy back out of the window. "It's $5.67 Sir."

Edward fished out a crisp twenty from his wallet and handed it to the boy without comment.

"Here's your change," the boy said as he handed Edward back some bills along with some change that caused Edward to frown as he looked for a place to deposit the coins.

Bella watched with an amused expression as she guessed that Edward was the type of person who didn't quite know how to deal with such things as mundane as change. "Don't you like to carry change?"

Edward was a little startled that she had guessed his thoughts so correctly again. "No, I prefer not to," he acknowledged as he continued to search for a place to deposit the change.

"There's a contribution bucket below the window if you want to donate it," Bella suggested as she smiled at his discomfort.

Edward deposited the coins along with the bills that he had been handed into the plastic depository marked with the name of a well know national charity.

"Here you are," the boy announced as he held out a large cup and a white paper bag with two golden arches.

"Thank you," Edward replied as he took the cup and bag and handed then to Bella while trying in vain not to inhale the odious smell of the fried food.

"Thanks," Bella smiled at Edward as she took the bag and cup from him.

"Do you want me to pull over so you can eat?" he asked as he pulled out of the lane.

"No, I can eat while you drive," Bella said as she fished a hot french fry out of the bag.

Edward frowned as he pulled into traffic as he thought of the lack of nutrition in Bella's selection. "Do you often skip meals Bella?" he asked with an evident concern in his tone.

Looking up from her burger, Bella smiled at the worry in Edward's beautiful eyes. "Well such is the life of a college student. I just grab what I can here and there. I do try to at least have one good meal a day," she responded truthfully.

"I see," Edward commented while his mind was already feverishly calculating on how to improve Bella's meal choices.

Guessing that Edward was still focused on her lack of proper eating habits Bella quickly changed the subject. "So, tell me about your family."

Edward glanced at her as she took a bite out of her burger and couldn't help the smile that came to his perfect lips at how adorable she looked even while eating something so disgusting. "Well you met Alice and Jasper of course," Edward began as he pulled onto the highway that led to the hotel where the ball was being held. "Carlisle, my older brother and his wife Esme are sort of the grounding forces in our family. You already know that Carlisle is a surgeon. He specializes in cardiac medicine and Esme, to whom I didn't properly introduce you to, which I will soon remedy," he promised as he reached out his cold hand to adjust the heater, "is an architect. I also have a brother Emmett who is married to Rosalie."

"The fashion designer," Bella commented between bites.

"One and the same," Edward answered with a marked tenseness that Bella didn't quite grasp.

"And Emmett," Bella asked as she frowned at the large onion on her burger. "What does he do?"

Laughing slightly, Edward made a slight face. "Oh Emmett does pretty much whatever he wants." Seeing Bella's confusion he continued. "Emmet has tried about every profession but just can't seem to find something that will hold his interest for longer than a few months. Right now he's into extreme sports and has opened a sky diving school."

"Sky diving?" Bella repeated with a light of excitement in her eyes that had Edward instantly on alert.

"Yes," he answered warily as he promised himself to get Emmett's word not to take Bella up.

"Will they all be at the ball this evening?" she asked as she took a long sip of her soda.

"Yes, the whole clan," he answered with a wiry grin.

"I can't wait to meet them," Bella interjected as she continued to sip her soda.

"Were just about there," Edward commented as he took the exit that lead to the hotel.

"Oh," Bella said as she turned her attention to the last fry and then began to dispense with the food wrappers.

"There's Alice," Edward announced sardonically as he pulled up to the grand entrance.

Alice pulled Bella's door open before Edward had even placed the expensive sports car in park. "Are you okay now Bella?" she asked with an agitation that had Bella feeling a little guilty.

"I'm great! Edward fed me," she announced with a wink at her new friend.

Edward handed the keys to the valet and then crossed to the passenger side with a censoring look at his sister. "Move Alice," he growled low under his breath so that only she could hear.

Bella frowned at the hurt look that had entered Alice's eyes as Edward held out his hand to assist her from the car.

"Thank you," Bella said softly as she took his offered hand and instantly felt the strange flutter within her stomach that his touch had seemed to always generate. Reaching out with her free hand, she tucked it through Alice's cold arm and tugged her along with them. "Come on Alice, it's so cold out here."

Alice fell into step as Jasper followed quietly behind. "You look better," Alice observed as they walked through the gilded door so graciously held open by a uniformed door man.

"I'm fine," Bella smiled down at the pretty brunette. "Now smile."

Alice felt some of her guilt desolve as they walked into the grand hotel. "Jasper, can you please take our coats?" she called to her husband, her voice sounding more like its normal confident self.

"Sure," Jasper murmured softly as he gently took his wife's coat. "Edward, Bella?" he asked as he held out an arm for their coats.

Edward helped Bella and then proceeded to shrug off his own black cashmere overcoat. "Thanks Jasper. We'll see you inside."

"Carlisle and Esme are waiting for us," Alice advised Edward as they walked towards the ball room.

"And Rosalie?" Edward asked with a hidden meaning in his tone that Alice instantly picked up on.

'_Ah, so you know,_' she allowed the thought to cross her mind so she could silently communicate with her still slightly angry brother.

With an almost imperceptible nod of his head Edwards acknowledged his sister's thought.

'_Maybe you could wait until later for your…ah, conversation."_ Alice brought the words to her mind as she read the future with a slight shiver to her tiny frame at the impending confrontation between Rosalie and her still very enraged brother. Seeing that her advice was not swaying her troublesome brother, Alice used her ace card. '_For Bella's sake then.'_

Edward considered his sister's council and agreed for the moment that she was right and to spare Bella; he would wait to confront Rosalie until they were alone.

'_Thank you,'_ Alice smiled up at his still tense features.

"Bella," Esme called out at she crossed the short distance between them.

"Esme," Edward greeted his mother/sister with a kiss on her cold cheek. "Bella, this is my sister-in-law Esme Cullen," he introduced formally.

"Bella," Esme greeted Bella warmly. "It's good to see that you are feeling better."

Taking Esme's offered hand, Bella was once again shocked at the coldness. "Yes, I'm much better thanks to Edward," Bella said as she glanced up at Edward with a look of total adoration.

Edward beamed at her praise and knew that he would move heaven and earth to keep that look in her beautiful eyes.

Esme smiled serenely at the joy so evident in Edwards's striking features. "Shall we go in then?"

Edward placed his arm gently around Bella's waist and led her towards the ballroom's entrance.

"Edward, Bella," Carlisle greeted at the opened doorway as he leaned down and bestowed a light kiss to Bella's cheek. "Feeling better I see. You look stunning."

Bella's cheeks filled with color as she was once again embarrassed for her fainting spell. "Thank you Dr. Cullen," she replied with a polite smile to the handsome doctor.

"Call me Carlisle," he insisted with an approving glance towards Edward.

Edward feeling her discomfort at all of his family's attention gently pushed her forward to the stairs that lead to the elegant room below. "Shall we?" he said as he held out his arm with an elegant bow straight out of an era long past.

Bella laughed lightly at his gesture and then tucked her arm in his and allowed him to guide her down the stairs.

"BELLS!" A familiar voice yelled out excitedly in sharp contrast to the extreme elegance of the evening.

Edward felt an instant feeling of threat fill his cold body as a big burly blond man came bounding up the stairs to grab Bella from him and then twirl her around as though she was a doll.

"Jasper!" Alice called urgently to her newly arriving husband in order for him to set about sending a sense of calm to Edward, who was currently debating on the best way he could kill the man who had just grabbed Bella from him.

"Mike," Bella answered with a smile that served to light up her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you I guess," he said as he finally placed her on her own feet.

"How's your knee?" she asked immediately thinking of the injury he sustained in last Sunday's game.

"Fine Bells," he sighed with a long suffering tone that served to confirm their long standing relationship.

"And the doctor said it was okay for you to play on Monday?" she asked with her concern still very evident in her warm brown eyes.

"Yes Bells," he replied with a wry grin that caused her to raise an eyebrow. "Who's the stiff angry looking guy?" he whispered not knowing that Edward could hear his every word and thought.

"Oh," Bella said as she turned back to Edward with a small smile of apology on her pink tinted lips. "Edward," she said as she pulled Mike along after her. "This is my friend Mike Newton. Mike this is my," Bella paused not knowing how to introduce Edward, as boss seemed to be not quite an appropriate title.

"Edward Cullen," Edward supplied as he held out his hand. "I'm Bella's date." He said with an air of ownership that was designed to mark his claim.

Bella felt a flush of pleasure at the proprietor manner in which Edward marked their connection.

"Edward," a very pretty blond woman approached with a predatory smile gracing her red lips as she held out her arms for an embrace.

"Melissa," Edward greeted with a formalness that went unnoticed by the pretty woman.

"I've got us a table over in the corner," she whispered in his ear as she ran a hand suggestively down his chest to his flat stomach.

Alice and Jasper hid their laugh under the cover of a feigned cough at the picture of their brother trying to untangle himself from the woman who had pursued him relentlessly for the past four years. "I don't think you've met my date Melissa," he said as he held out a beaconing hand to Bella.

Bella tried to push back the urge to rip the woman's hand from where it rested on Edwards's flat stomach as she approached them.

"Bella Swan," he said as he took her hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "This is Melissa Peyton, the hospital's administrator."

"Ms. Payton," Bella acknowledged as she leaned her body into Edward's in order to send out the message that he was taken, knowing that she had come face to face with the woman that she was here to deter.

Edward felt an instant almost human pleasure at Bella's closeness and he leaned down and placed a light tender kiss at her brow.

Melissa's eyes took on a shrewdness that didn't go unnoticed by Alice who warned Edward with a quick thought.

"Ms. Swan," Melissa returned the acknowledgment coldly. "So how did you meet Edward?"

"She just walked into my life one night and that was it," Edward said softly without once pulling his eyes from Bella's upturned face.

Bella wondered if he was feeling the same insane sense of belonging that she was as she gazed up into his hypnotic gold eyes. Smiling, she reached up and traced the curve of his perfect lips, totally unaware of the two sets of eyes within the room that held nothing but hatred in their depths.

Alice shivered as if a cold arctic wind blew across her, a sense of foreboding filled her being but for some reason her gift was failing her as if there were two events that were competing for her attention simultaneously.

"Alice," Jasper whispered with a sharp concerned light in his beautiful bronze eyes.

"I'm okay," she whispered but her eyes were on Bella who had now seemed to become the featured player in her mind.

"Mike Newton!" Emmett exclaimed as he pulled his reluctant wife in his wake. Holding out his hand he smiled at one of his favorite sports players. "Emmett Cullen," he introduced himself.

"Mr. Cullen," Mike acknowledged warmly as was his normal reaction to meeting an enthusiastic fan.

"I can't believe that I'm standing next to Mike Newton," Emmett said with a jubilation that caused Rosalie to roll her eyes in disgust.

"Edward," Rosalie greeted almost reluctantly.

"Rosalie," Edward returned icily. Wishing that he didn't have to introduce Bella to his bitch of a sister he sighed deeply. "Bella, this is my sister Rosalie."

"Hello Mrs. Cullen," Bella greeted with a genuine warmness.

"Bella, was it?" Rosalie responded with a bored tone that served to elevate her own self perceived status above Bella.

Edward let out a low growl under his breath so low that only his family was aware of his strong warning to his sister.

Esme sent a look of censure to Rosalie as she crossed to Bella's side to show her support. "Do you dance Bella?" she asked in an attempt to calm the tenseness of the moment.

"No, not really," Bella answered as she tried to push back the unsettling feeling that was pooling within the pit of her stomach.

"Well, that's about to change," Esme insisted. "Edward." She called out as she pulled Edward's unrelenting gaze from his silent war with Rosalie.

Promising himself that before the night was out he would corner Rosalie and let her know that Bella was now the most important part of his world and he would not tolerate any mistreatment, he finally relented and let Esme pull his attention back to her.

"Bella needs your dancing instruction," she advised with an encouraging, telling smile.

Warmed at the thought of having Bella all to himself and in his arms of all things, Edward brightened visibly. "Well then, Ms. Swan may I have the honor of this dance?" he asked with an exaggerated bow that served to send Emmett into a fit of laugher.

Bella ignored Emmett's laughter and smiled at Edward's gallant gesture as she took his offered arm and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

Taking her tenderly into his arms, he began to sway slowly as he held her close to his unbeating heart. Closing his eyes he reveled in the knowledge that this was one of those few special moments that he would remember for the rest of his existence. _How amazing she feels_, _as if she were designed especially for me_, he thought as he looked down at her soft beauty. What he wouldn't give to have the right to call her his own.

Bella sighed contently as she laid her head against the wide breath of Edwards's strong shoulder. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to selfishly imagine that Edward returned the strong feelings that she herself was experiencing.

After several moments of contented silence, Edward spoke softly into her ear. "I don't think I've told you how beautiful you look."

Feeling a shiver of excitement race down her spine at the husky quality of Edward's tone, Bella leaned back to look up at his perfect face. "It's the dress," she responded with a forced flippancy that belied the feelings of longing coursing through her.

With a slight shake of his head, Edward looked deeply into her eyes. "No it's not the dress Bella, it is definitely not he dress," he whispered with a barely leashed desire that threatened to overcome them both.

"Edward?" Bella questioned with an answering desire unmistakable in her eyes.

Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat, Edward tried to bank down the rampant human desire that raced through his body at her nearness. "Bella," he began as if he wanted to ask her an important question. Abruptly changing his mind, he quickly took hold of her hand and led her to a secluded balcony. With both hands, he gently tilted her face up towards his. "God forgive me, but if I don't kiss you right now I think I just might die," he murmured huskily only a second before his lips took hers in a deep, soul-seeking kiss that transcended them both to a place of mutual euphoria.

Bella smiled softly as she laid her head back against Edward's broad shoulder, enjoying this one stolen moment that she could cherish the rest of her days. "You feel it too?" she asked almost hesitantly as if her whole world depended on his response.

Releasing a long pent up breath; Edward lifted his hands to her shoulders to slide them down her arms in a light caress. "Yes Bella, I feel it too," he whispered in her ear with a husky tone that caused her knees to buckle. Catching her slumping form in his arms, Edward smiled as a new purpose to his existence filled him a hopefulness he had never known.

Shaking her head in wonder, Bella continued to stare up at Edward with an unguarded look of complete love in her gaze. "This is crazy," she whispered softly.

Smiling down at her with all the love he felt in his soul, he simply nodded his head in agreement as words seemed to be so inadequate to be used to describe the depth of his feelings at this most important moment of his life, the moment when he found his one true love.

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A/N Oh that Rosalie is a mean one. Just wait until you see what she has up her sleeve. Next chapter more of the Ball and Edward and Bella getting to know more about each other.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Seven**

"What did you do to her?" Alice demanded furiously when she took in Bella's mussed up hair and smudged makeup.

Edward scowled at his meddlesome sister as she reached out and took Bella's hand to pull her from his embrace towards the ladies room.

Bella glanced back at Edward with a look of helpless humor that caused Edward to smile his crooked smile at her once again.

"So Edward," Jasper started off as he watched Alice and Bella disappear from their view.

"Jasper," Edward answered as he turned to see his brother's amused expression.

"Things seem to be going well," Jasper observed with a light teasing to his tone.

Edward nodded his head slightly, indicating that they should rejoin the rest of the family. "Yes, I would say so."

"Emmett has Bella's friend Mike cornered so he shouldn't give you any competition," Jasper advised as they found Esme and Carlisle talking with the mayor and district attorney.

"Good evening Edward, Jasper," Mayor Smyth greeted both men, especially Edward who was one of his top contributors.

"Mayor," Edward acknowledged as he shook the hand of the distinguished looking man. Turning his attention to the district attorney, he held out his hand as well. "John."

"Edward," John Reynolds greeted the eccentric billionaire with a firm handshake.

"I was just telling Carlisle and Esme that the hospital should be proud of this year's turn out," Mayor Smyth repeated for Edward and Jasper's benefit.

Nodding his head in agreement, Edward looked about the room in search of Emmett and Rosalie.

'_There over on the right,'_ Esme contributed with a thought aimed in Edward's direction.

Edward smiled his thanks and then turned his gaze to seek out Emmett's. Seeing that his brother was engaged in a deep conversation that obviously revolved around football with Mike Newton served to cause a wave of relief to sweep through him; knowing that Emmett would certainly be keeping Mike away from Bella for the rest of the evening.

"And what is your opinion Edward?" the Mayor asked with a quizzical look on his face.

Edward quickly read his thoughts so he could respond appropriately. "I agree with Carlisle," he began as he turned his full attention to the conversation at hand. "I think we really have to weigh on the side of caution before we begin to think about developing the northern slope."

"But don't you think that we could bring in more tourist dollars?" the Mayor asked hoping to sway Edward to his line of thinking.

"I'm sure you could but at what price?" Edward remarked with a slight edge to his voice as he was first and foremost a staunch supporter of wildlife preservation for reasons that went beyond his own self interest.

Mayor Smyth, sensing that he had better not continue on this line of discussion, quickly changed the subject in an attempt to avoid alienating his top supporter. "So I see that we have a Seahawk in attendance tonight," he remarked with a wide smile unknowing that the reference to Mike Newton only served to irritate Edward all the more.

"Yes, I met him earlier this evening," Edward commented politely while he gazed at Esme with a new sense of purpose. "Carlisle, why is it that my gorgeous sister in law isn't on the dance floor?"

"I have no excuse," Carlisle answered as he strived to put on a shamed face.

"Esme," Edward asked with an exaggerated politeness as he extended his hand. "Would you please do me the honor?"

Esme sent a smug look at her husband before she accepted Edward's outstretched hand.

"If you will excuse us gentlemen," Edward said as he guided Esme onto the crowded dance floor.

"You look happy Edward," Esme observed, staring up into his perfect face as he guided her effortlessly across the dance floor.

"I am," Edward answered with a truthfulness that shown unabashedly through his golden gaze.

"I can't help but be a little concerned," Esme added as Edward dipped her low in his arms.

Reading her thoughts he smiled at her. "I know, I'm a little concerned myself," he added with a slight frown to his brow.

"Have you thought about when the time comes to tell her?" Esme asked with a barely audible tone.

"No, I can't think of that yet," Edward answered, a shiver of dread racing down his spine as he pictured the conversation he would one day need to have with Bella. "I just need to take this one day at a time Esme," he finished in an almost pleading tone for her understanding.

"Well, just know that we're always here for you," she said with a maternal smile that reached out and embraced him with loving understanding.

"Thank you," he answered simply as he stood in awe at her unending acceptance of him.

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"Try not to let Edward mess up your hair again," Alice ordered a hair and makeup repaired Bella as they made their way back towards Jasper and Carlisle. "Oh look, Edward is dancing with Esme," she commented absently as she watched her brother and mother execute a perfect ballroom step.

Bella's heart stilled within her chest at the pure perfection of Edward's grace. "Wow," she said softly as she froze in place to watch the man who had stolen her heart.

Alice rolled her eyes and took Bella's hand to pull her towards Jasper, who was in conversation with a small group of men.

"Alice, Bella," Carlisle called out to them in welcome as he stepped to the side to allow them to join the group. "Alice you remember Mayor Smyth and District Attorney Reynolds."

Alice smiled cordially at the two men.

"Gentlemen, I'd like to also introduce you to Bella Swan. Bella this is…" Carlisle's stopped in mid introduction as he took in the look of horror on Bella's now pale features. "Bella?" he questioned her softly as he carefully placed a hand at her elbow.

Bella stood frozen in abject horror as she came face to face with the man who had torn her world apart six years ago.

"Is she alright?" Mayor Smyth asked with a look of concern lining his weathered face as he stared at Bella's stricken expression.

'_Edward!'_ Alice called out to her brother silently. "Bella?" Alice called softly as she tried to pull Bella from some unseen terror.

Emmett and Rosalie both turned instinctively towards their family as they felt an immediate sense of danger engulf them.

Mike's gaze followed Emmett's line of sight and then his heart fell to his stomach as he saw the same heartbreaking haunted expression on Bella's face as he had seen six years before when she had been so cruelly cross examined by the bastard who now stood only a few feet from her. "Damn it!" he cursed as he leaped to his feet to rush to Bella's side.

Edward tensed as he heard Alice's urgent summons. "Something's wrong," he told Esme as he turned to immediately search out Bella.

Mike glared at the district attorney briefly before he stepped protectively in front of Bella to block her view. "Bella, come with me," he ordered softly as he gently led her from the pain of her past.

Edward felt a wave of fury fill him as he caught site of Mike leading Bella away. Seeing Alice's anxious expression he motioned for her to explain.

'_I'm not sure what happened,'_ she conveyed through her mind. _'One minute everything is fine and then the next Bella's frozen stiff like she was really frightened of something.'_

Edward nodded as he followed through the doorway where Mike had disappeared with Bella.

"Bella," Mike called to her softly as he tried to pull her from her internal horror.

"What happened?" Edward asked urgently as he approached Mike, who was holding onto Bella by her shoulders.

Mike threw Edward a silencing glance as he shook his head indicating that now was not the time to go into the details of Bella's frightened reaction to the District Attorney who had ripped her life apart.

Edward quickly read Mike's thoughts and was instantly filled with an overwhelming rage that had his hands shaking as he sorted through the visions that Mike's mind had sent of a sixteen year old Bella being made to relive the details of her beating and attempted rape. 'RAPE', the word reverberated off his brain as his body filled with the need for the blood of the man who had dared to cause Bella pain.

Alice and Jasper came rushing out in time to see Edward's obvious struggle. '_Not now Edward!'_ Alice imparted forcefully so as to stall his unmistakable thirst for vengeance. "Jasper," she instructed with a hard look so her husband could use his gift to restore some semblance of control back into Edward.

Mike continued to speak softly to Bella, "Honey, it's Mike and you're safe."

Edward clenched his teeth and growled under his breath at Jasper's intervention into his emotions, not wanting to have his rage dulled until he saw John Reynolds dead by his vengeance seeking hands.

'_Edward!'_ Carlisle's urgent voice interrupted his thoughts. '_Bella needs you now so get a hold of yourself.'_

"What happened?" Emmett asked as he and Rosalie joined the family who each had an anxious expression on their pale faces as they surrounded Bella protectively.

Alice filled Emmett and Rosalie in while Esme crossed to Bella's side with a worried expression on her beautiful face. "Bella, its Esme dear," called very softly as she took hold of one of Bella's shaking hands.

"She certainly knows how to be the center of attention," Rosalie commented venomously under breath as she stared daggers at Bella's down bent head.

"Rosalie!" Carlisle admonished her through his tightly clenched teeth while quickly looking towards Edward, who was thankfully totally engrossed in Bella's condition so he didn't hear Rosalie's hateful comment.

Bella seemed to unfreeze from her internal panic and raised pain filled eyes to Mike's anxious face. "Mike," she whispered as if she were seeing him for the first time this evening.

"Right here Bells," he soothed, using his pet nickname for her as he smiled coaxingly to her.

"Oh God!" Bella cried out as the fog lifted and she felt an overwhelming rush of pain to her heart. "Mike," she cried out with a tortured tone that served to send a chill down to Edward's soul. Tears slowly filled Bella's eyes as she fought against the unbearable pain of her past that she had buried so deeply for so many years.

Jasper gasped aloud at the intense pain he felt radiating off of Bella and grabbed a hold of Alice's hand for some measure of comfort.

Edward, reading through the curses in Mike's head, found that Mike was extremely upset with himself for not insisting that Bella confront her past demons before she had reached this the point of a complete breakdown. Knowing that Bella was ensnared in her own internal hell, Edward approached her cautiously. "Bella," he called to her so softly that he wasn't sure if she could hear him.

Bella turned instantly towards Edward's soft velvet voice as if he were her only lifeline in the sea of pain that she was now struggling to emerge from. "Edward," she whispered with such a painful pleading reflected in her tear-filled eyes.

Taking the few steps that separated them in one, he pulled her gently into his arms and held her trembling form close to his unbeating heart.

Bella melted into Edward's strong frame while her tears continued to trail down her pale cheeks. Tucking her head into the curve of his neck, she breathed deeply to try to pull on his strength.

"Jasper," Edward called softly to his brother. "Can you please get our coats and have the cars brought around?"

"Yes of course." Jasper replied solemnly as he turned to do Edward's bidding.

"Alice, if you could please drive my car while Jasper drives Bella and I home," he said in the form of a statement rather than in the form of a request.

"Of course," Alice agreed immediately as she watched Bella with sympathetic eyes.

"Carlisle," Edward began as his eye searched out his fathers.

"I'll follow you," Carlisle confirmed Edwards's unspoken request as he immediately knew that Edward needed his medical assistance for Bella.

"Thanks," Edward acknowledged as he tightened his hold on Bella's still trembling form. "I'm going to take you home now Bella," he whispered into her ear softly.

Bella nodded slightly as she eased up on her tight grip on Edward's tuxedo lapel.

"Bells," Mike stepped forward, not knowing if Bella should be leaving with Edward.

Edward, reading Mike's thoughts tensed. "If you will give Alice your phone number we will call you later to let you know how Bella is doing," Edward said with an unshakable air of authoritative dismissal.

Seeing that Bella had seemed to be more at peace in Edward's arms, Mike relaxed a bit and nodded his head agreeably. "I call you tomorrow Bells," he quietly promised. "Here's my card, please call me no matter what time it is," Mike instructed Alice as he handed her a small business card.

"Of course," Alice promised as she turned to follow a slow moving Edward and Bella out of the hotel.

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"She should sleep for at least seven to eight hours," Carlisle announced as he dispensed with the syringe he had just used to sedate Bella.

"Thanks," Edward said as he sat by Bella's side while holding her hand tenderly in his.

"Edward," Carlisle began with a worried tone. "When she wakes up she is going to be in much the same state she was in at the hotel. I can only guess at what happened to her, but whatever it was it appears to have been so horrific that she pushed it so deep that she never really dealt with the emotions at the time; so now it will be like she has just experienced them as if it were yesterday. She is going to need your patience and understanding."

Nodding his head sadly, Edward continued to stare at Bella's sleeping form with an anguished expression on his beautiful face.

"Son, it may be that Bella won't be able to face a physical relationship with any man until she deals with this pain from her past," Carlisle imparted as he put a supportive hand on one of Edward's slumped shoulders.

"I understand," Edward answered with a deadened voice.

Closing his eyes against the intense pain that he felt emanating out of his son, Carlisle continued with his advice almost hesitantly. "She may find it easier to talk with a woman, maybe Alice or Esme?" he suggested as he released Edward's shoulder to begin to collect his medical supplies.

"I'll ask Esme to talk with her," Edward said convinced that if anyone could help Bella through this madness that it would be his kind-hearted mother.

"Alright then," Carlisle said as he crossed the room to the doorway. "Call me if you need anything."

Edward broke his eye contact for the first time in an hour from the woman who now held his heart. Glancing back over his shoulder at his father he offered a half-hearted smile. "Thanks Carlisle. For more than just this," he said as he motioned to Bella's sleeping form.

Carlisle smiled gently at his son, knowing that Edward was conveying his gratitude for more than just his medical services. "You're welcome son. I'll send Esme over in the morning."

Edward nodded once in acknowledgement before he turned his intense concerned gaze back to Bella, a gaze that would remain unbroken in the quiet eight hours to come.

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A/N Poor Bella, all that pain that she now has to deal with. Next chapter Bella's story of her past comes to light. Please shoot me a review, even if it is only a word or two. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Eight – (This chapter has not been proof read yet so please forgive the errors. SNU please email me an let me know that you're okay.)**

Esme paused at the opened doorway to the room that held a peacefully sleeping Bella with Edward's unmoving frame standing guard at her side, his intense gaze focused solely on Bella's still face.

"She hasn't moved all night," Edward answered Esme's unspoken question as he read her thoughts.

Smiling softly Esme crossed the room to stand just behind her son. "And you Edward?" she asked with a mother's concern flavoring her words as she reached out to push back a stand of bronze hair that had fallen out of place on his forehead.

"I'm fine," he answered with an abruptness that stood in sharp contrast to his words.

Esme closed her eyes briefly as she fought against the wave of pity that threatened to engulf her so that Edward would not be able to read her thoughts. "Carlisle mentioned that you might need me this morning," she said as she crossed to pull a chair from the corner of the room to Bella's bedside.

Without taking his eyes from Bella, Edward smiled gratefully at his mother; knowing that her serene presence would be able to help Bella through the difficult hours ahead.

"Edward?" Esme called to him with a slight frown marring her pale features. '_How are you doing in your struggle with your thirst?' _she thought the inquiry in case Bella, even in her sleeping state could somehow hear their conversation.

Reaching out Edward stroked Bella's smooth cheek with a slightly unsteady hand. "I won't say it's not hard," he began with a short mocking laugh directed at himself. "But she is more important to me than anything else in the world, so her needs will always come first," he confessed so softly that the words were almost inaudible to Esme even with her enhanced vampire hearing.

'I've brought some food and Alice will be here shortly with some clothes and other human essentials that Bella will need,' Esme once again relayed to Edward via her thoughts.

"Thanks Esme," Edward broke his unblinking stare from Bella to turn his warm appreciative gaze towards his mother.

"She should be waking soon if Carlisle has it correct. I'll go and start her breakfast," Esme announced as she rose gracefully from the chair and leaned over to kiss Edward's cold cheek.

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Bella sighed contently as she embraced her dream where Edward's cool hand was caressing her cheek so tenderly. In her semi-wakeful state she smiled, basking in absolute awe of the unparalleled authenticity of the dream for she could swear that she did feel a cool hand upon her cheeks. Opening her eyes she instantly felt an odd sense of confusion fill her as she looked about an elegantly decorated room that she had never seen before. A frown began to form between her brows as she felt an alarming uncertainty wash over her as she became more aware of her unfamiliar surroundings.

"Bella," Edward called to her softly as he tried to help her gauge her surroundings.

Bella looked towards Edward's velvet voice with a panicked look upon her soft features. "Edward!" she cried out as she sat bolt upright in the soft bed. "What…where am I?" her stuttered question was delivered with such a look of fear that Edward had to fight his intense need to pull her protectively in his arms.

"You're in my home," Edward answered in a calm soothing tone as he watched her reaction with an intenseness that attested to his mounting concern.

Bella tore her gaze away from his worried features to her tightly clenched hands that were beginning to show small droplets of blood from the crescent shaped punctures her nail were unknowingly inflicting. Memories of the previous night began to assail her with a ruthless unrelenting speed. "Oh God!" she whispered with a soul wrenching anguish seeping into her tortured brown eyes.

"Bella," Edward whispered hoarsely, his hands immediately reaching out to unclench her fists while his throat began to burn with an almost unbearable thirst at the intoxicating scent her blood held for him.

At his touch, Bella recoiled with an almost animalistic cry of pain as she sprung from the bed to race towards the opposite side of the beautifully decorated room. Shaking her head slowly from side to side she began to sob as she pushed herself tightly into the corner to slowly slide down the wall to her knees, never once letting her weary frightened eyes break from Edward's frozen form.

Edward felt as if his world had just shattered into a million pieces as he watched the undeniable terror that Bella's gaze held for him; a terror not from him as the vile blood lusting creature that fate had decreed upon him, but terror of him as a man; a man who in her eyes represented a threat far worse than that of a mere vampire. Unable to endure the look of Bella's unmitigated fear, he softly called to Esme knowing that only she could be of any assistance to Bella now.

Esme came rushing into the room and came to an abrupt stop as she saw Edward with a such look of raw agony gracing his face that she gasped out loud. "Edward?" she asked as she began to go to him.

"Please," he said in such a pain filled voice that Esme once again froze. "Help Bella," he finished as he turned his face away and sank down heavily onto the bed as if his legs could no longer sustain him.

Esme watched in horror as her son struggled with some unbearable inner pain that she couldn't begin to fathom. Turning she began her search the room for Bella so that she could hopefully remove the look of agony from Edwards eyes. As her gaze finally settled on Bella's slowly rocking form, she stumbled back a step as she tried to grasp the magnitude of the intense pain emanating from the tortured young woman's huddled form. "Bella," she called softly as she began to slowly approach. "It's Esme dear."

Bella continued to rock back and forth her terrified eyes still locked on Edward's now slumping frame upon the bed, the blue cotton shirt that Edward had lent for her use beginning to stain from the blood seeping from her injured palms.

At the scent of Bella's fresh human blood Esme stiffened her resolved before she leaned down to the left of Bella as she continued to talk to her softly. "Bella, you do remember me don't you?" Esme asked as she began to block Edward's view from Bella's line of sight.

Bella began to frown in confusion at the woman who was kneeling before her. "Esme?" she asked in a bewildered tone.

Smiling encouragingly, Esme nodded. "Yes, we met last night, do you remember?"

Bella looked down at the floor as she appeared to be pulling internally for the memories of the prior night. As a visible fog lifted a renewed look of horror began to fill Bella's eyes. "The ball," she whispered as she drew in a ragged breath.

Nodding her head in acquiescence, Esme reached out to place a comforting hand upon Bella' arm that was currently tightly wrapped around her knees. "Yes, we met at the ball."

"Edward," Bella whispered so achingly that Edward flinched as he leapt to his feet.

Esme watched as Bella face took on a mask like quality as she stood and began to look frantically around the room.

"I have to go," Bella announced with a slightly stilted tone. "Where are my clothes?"

Edward watched as a Bella began to look quickly around the room, her manner appearing uncommonly stiff. "Bella, I think you should stay just a while longer," he said very carefully so not to alarm her in any way.

"No, no," Bella quickly denied, her tone abnormally sharply as she shook her head violently, her waist length tangled hair falling forward to conceal her pale face from view.

Edward looked at Esme who still stood silent as she watched with a look of pity in her golden gaze.

"Bella," Esme said as she smiled warmly. "I've got breakfast just about ready, so why don't you get dressed and join us in the dining room in about fifteen minutes?"

"But I'm so late," Bella said in a strange voice that seemed to be coming from some automatic plane.

"Late for what dear?" Esme asked as she crossed to Bella's side to gently push her hair behind her shoulders.

A bewildered look began to unfold on Bella's features as she stared at Esme. "It's Sunday," she said in a childlike way.

"Sunday?" Esme asked with an encouraging smile.

Nodding her head Bella looked around the room with a slow appraising study as if she were just becoming familiar with her surroundings. "I visit Jacob on Sundays," she said in a far away voice. "What time is it? I can't be late."

Edward tensed at the name of the man who was now serving a life sentence for the murder of the man who had assaulted Bella. Edward exchanged a concerned look with Esme as they both struggled with how to handle Bella's extremely fragile mental state.

"Edward, I believe that Carlisle wanted you to call him this morning; so while you're taking care of that I'll help Bella get dressed," Esme suggested with a purposeful tone to her beautiful voice. _'Go and call Carlisle Edward, I think we are going to need him now.' _She sent her thoughts while she guided a confused Bella towards the bathroom.

Edward watched with a heavy weight taking an unrelenting hold within his chest as his mother and Bella disappeared from his anguished unblinking gaze. Closing his eyes, he swayed slightly under the extreme strain of the torment that radiated throughout the room.

'_Edward!' _Alice's alarmed thought echoed within his head as his mind pulled up a picture of her in her frantic sprint towards the front door of his home. With a deep sigh he turned to walk out of the room to meet his sister.

Alice bounded through the door with a worried frown marring her normally exuberant features. "Edward," she sighed softly as she saw the desolate look on her brother's face. "She's going to be alright you know."

Edward looked at his beautiful little sister and saw that her eyes did hold a solid truth in their amber depths. "You didn't see her," Edward whispered in a dejected tone that caused Alice to wince on his behalf.

"You're wrong Edward," Alice announced confidently. "I do see her."

Edward instantly saw Alice's vision of a smiling contented Bella, a Bella that held no resemblance to the woman who had stared so fearful at him only a few minutes ago. "But," he began only to be stopped my Alice's firm invading visions. Edward felt his breath hitch in his throat as he saw Bella smiling at him in some future time, her face held so much joy and love as she gaze at him. A feeling of such vast relief filled him as he reached out to pull Alice into his embrace. "Thank you," he whispered gratefully into her ear.

Smiling into his chest, Alice returned her brother's hug, knowing that she had succeeded in bring him some much needed solace.

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"I'm going to go over to Edward's to help Esme with Bella," Carlisle imparted as he gathered up his car keys.

Rosalie's beautiful face took on a menacing look. "Why is it that the whole world has to stop for Edward's girlfriend?" she asked with such an undisguised malice that even her besotted Emmett turned to frown at her with disapproval.

Carlisle, who had struggle last night not to react to Rosalie's unkind attitude towards Bella, finally snapped. "What is the matter with you?" he asked with a rare disgust tainting his tone.

"What's the matter with me?" Rosalie asked with an affronted glare in her father's direction.

"Yes Rosalie, I am asking just what in hell is a matter with you!" Carlisle roared back, his patience for his beautiful daughter's behavior at last at an end.

Rosalie stalked over to stand directly in front of her father with a venomous look in her nearly black eyes. "I'll tell you what's the matter," she shot back with a blazing tone. "I'm sick of everyone in this family fawning over some stupid human! I mean who is she anyway? Some little nobody from the wrong side of town who sees Edward as her golden ticket. Why any of you can't see that she is only using Edward is beyond me. "

"Rosalie!" Emmett's shocked tone didn't serve to phase Rosalie one iota from her firm stance.

Carlisle shook his head in disgust as he gazed down at his unfeeling daughter. "I don't have time for this now," he said with a coldness that sent a decisive chill through Rosalie's tense frame. "But when I return this evening, be ready to discuss your words today Rosalie, for I can guarantee that this discussion is far from over." With that said he turned on his heel and vanished through the door unaware of his daughter's pained expression.

Emmett walked silently to his wife's side. "Rosie," he asked as he reached out to gently tilt her chin so he could look into her sad eyes. "Why do you dislike Bella so much?"

Rosalie leaned her head against Emmett's strong wide shoulder, not wanting him to see the pain that was so clearly evident on her beautiful face. A pain that she had laid buried for so many lonely years; years that had her longing endlessly for the one person in this world that she loved more than herself. The one person who now had given his heart to some undeserving human.

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"Where is she," Carlisle asked as he placed his medical bag upon the counter of Edward's normally unused modern kitchen.

"Esme has taken her for a walk in the garden," Alice supplied as she frowned at the picture in the cookbook that in no way resembled the blackened chicken she had just pulled from the oven.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked as he took a seat next to Edwards on the comfortable beige leather sofa.

"They been out there a while now," Edward answered with concern emphasizing his every word.

Carlisle sighed deeply. "Let's hope Esme can get her to talk."

"Are you sure that talking is what she needs?" Edward asked with an air of anxiousness as he leapt to his feet to cross to the bank of windows that overlooked his garden in hopes of catching a glimpse of Bella.

"It's going to be alright Edward," Alice moaned in frustration as she had for the past two hours.

"Have you seen this Alice?" Carlisle asked as he stood to walk to her side.

"Yes, I have, and what's more is that Edwards has seen it too," she complained as she shot her brother a telling glare.

"Edward?" Carlisle called to his son.

"The vision Alice was referring to is at some future time, not now," Edward's voice trailed off as if he went off into another place.

"Edward!" Alice reprimanded him sharply.

Growling in frustration Edward walked back to the leather sofa and sank down heavily.

Carlisle sent Alice a silent questioning look.

"He promised Esme that he wouldn't read her mind while she was talking with Bella," Alice explained softly.

Carlisle saw that Edward was struggling with the promise he had made. "She's right Edward," he said with a slightly sympathetic tone. "Bella will probably need to talk about some very difficult things and it is only right that she be the one to decide if she wants you to know about her past. For Bella Edward," Carlisle added as he watched the play of emotions across his son's tortured face.

Knowing that Carlisle was right as always Edward nodded his head slightly as he resigned himself to the endless waiting.

"I don't think I did this quite right," Alice said out loud as she poked at the charred chicken with a long fork.

Carlisle hid his smile as he looked at the culinary disaster that Alice had before her. "No, I don't think that you should serve that to Bella," he advised.

"But I need to feed her something when she comes back," Alice said with an almost whining tone that served to scrap across Edward's last nerve.

"Why don't you just make one of the premade dinner's that Esme brought with her?" Edward suggested knowing that if he wanted Bella to remain well he would need to steer her clear of his sister's cooking attempts.

"Oh, that's a good idea," Alice said as she opened the stainless steel door to Edward's commercial grade refrigerator. "Wow, look at this," she whispered in awe.

"What?" Edward asked with a very inpatient look about his perfect face.

"It's a whole meal for one person in a box," she explained as she held up a package that was wrapped in clear plastic wrap. "I wish they had this when I was a human," she added more to herself than to the other two vampires in the room.

Edward almost smiled at the jubilant expression on his favorite sister's face. "Please read the instruction carefully this time," he advised as he leaned back against the back of the soft leather sofa, his mind already on the woman who was at that very moment beginning for the first time to let go of her pain filled past.

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A/N Oh that Rosalie is something! Okay next chapter really will be Bella and Esme's talk. Thanks so much for the reviews; I really appreciate them more that you can know.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Nine**

"Edward was very adamant that the house had to be built around these trees," Esme stated as she pointed out several large cedars that had to date back at least one hundred years.

"It was certainly worth it," Bella replied with a soft smile as she gazed at the three story mansion that nestled perfectly beneath a canopy of shade via the large gathering of trees.

"Let's sit down and talk for a moment," Esme suggested as she gestured to a small alcove that had several Adirondack chairs and benches positioned around an outdoor gas fireplace. "I think that Edward keeps this on all year," she said as she pushed a starter button that instantly caused a flame to burn within the stone semi-circle enclosure.

Bella sank down onto a bench and held her hands out to the inviting warmth of the fire. "It's really beautiful here," she observed as she smiled at Esme, who had taken a seat next to her.

"Bella, I hope you don't think I'm being too forward," Esme began in an almost apologetic tone. "But I wanted to see if you wanted to talk about what happened last night?"

Bella stiffened instantly and looked away from Esme's kind concerned eyes. "I'm sorry for that," Bella said with a slight flush to her cheeks.

"No Bella, I didn't mean for you to apologize, I wanted to see if you needed someone to talk to," Esme responded immediately. Reaching out she placed a cold comforting hand upon Bella's clenched fist.

Bella swallowed hard past the huge lump that had formed in her throat. "Thank you Esme, but…" her voice trailed off as tears began to form in her soft brown eyes.

Seeing that Bella was becoming upset Esme reached over and pulled Bella into her mothering arms. "Oh honey, I'm sorry," she apologized gently. "I can tell that you are trying to cope with some very deep pain, but you really need to talk about it with someone in order to let it go," she advised soothingly.

Bella closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath as she leaned heavily upon Esme's shoulder. Maybe it was time to let someone into her internal hell. Perhaps Esme would be able to shed some light on why she had only brought unhappiness and pain to those who were unfortunate enough to come to love her, she thought as a slight shudder ripped through her tense body. "It's not a very pretty story," Bella offered quietly in warning as a lone tear escaped to trail slowly down her pale cheek.

Esme pulled Bella tighter into her embrace and waited patiently for her to continue.

"I was eight when my parents were killed in a car accident," Bella began in clinical tone that failed to mask the immense pain that was radiating from her trembling form. "Being eight isn't an ideal age for an orphan, especially a clumsy child like I was," Bella explained with a sad little smile playing upon her lips. "People want babies or children that are so young that they won't think of their birth parents after their adopted. So I was sent to foster care. Some of the families were very nice, but it was never like a real home, most of them had their own children and I guess they were just taking in foster children for the extra money that the State gave them for our upkeep.

Bella looked off into the forest that sat adjacent to the large garage with a faraway look in her chestnut brown eyes. "I learned early on that if you worked hard and stayed very quite that it really wasn't so bad, you just had to know your place is all. I was moved quite a few times, so there were always new rules to learn. I guess the real trouble started when I was fifteen and I moved in with Laverne. She was definitely in the foster care system only for the money," Bella proclaimed with a look of disgust on her face. "So I moved in and met Mike, who you met last night."

"The football player that Emmett had cornered all night?" Esme asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Bella replied as she sat up from Esme, feeling the need for some distance from Edward's beautiful sister-in-law for she didn't want to taint her with the vile turn her story was about to take. "Mike was just a year older than me when I moved in. Laverne didn't really hold down a job for more than a month at a time so Mike and I worked after school to help pay the bills and to help support her drinking habit," Bella added with a stinging bite to her tone. "Anyway, things were okay for a while until she started having her boyfriend come around." Bella's voice shook as she spoke the last sentence.

Esme watched with sympathetic eyes as Bella struggled with the memories of her past. "Are you alright Bella?" she asked, concern evident in her words.

"Alright?" Bella choked out in a short self-mocking laugh that was filled with such a pain-filled sorrow that Esme almost gasped aloud. Bella leaped to her feet to circle the fireplace restlessly in a need of some physical release in order to push back the pain that threatened to swallow her whole. After a few moments of silence in which Bella collected herself, she continued with her story. "So there we were; me a sixteen year old girl and Mike, a seventeen year old football star whom everyone seemed to love. Laverne started having," Bella paused as if she couldn't bear to talk of the man who had caused her so much pain so long ago, "Ron stay overnight at the house. He was always…" Bella's voice broke as fresh tears came to her eyes.

"Bella?" Esme prompted softly, knowing that the only way for Bella to begin to heal was to share her pain.

"He was always trying to… touch me," Bella said with a tortured look on her strained face as she glanced back at Esme, who was trying hard to remain as still as possible in order not to break Bella's courage. Drawing in a shuddering breath, Bella looked towards the gathering clouds above as she fought back the fresh tears welling in her eyes before she continued with her story. "He used to sneak up behind me and put his hands…" Bella broke off as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly as if to protect herself from the man who had so cruelly abused her so long ago. "Anyway, I learned how to stay out of sight while he was in the house. Mike was aware of Ron's advances so he tried to always be there whenever Ron came over to help make sure that Ron would never…."

Esme watched helplessly as Bella struggled with the dark visions of her past, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up in her arms and promise that nothing bad would ever happen to her again.

"So this went on for a few months and then Jacob moved in," Bella said as she continued to pace around the fireplace, her movements uncommonly quick and erratic. "Jacob was a year older than me when he came to Laverne's home. He was really having a hard time adjusting to the death of his father. He died after a long battle with cancer," Bella said with sympathy filling her eyes as she remembered the first time she had seen Jacob. "He and Mike were wonderful to me, like the big brothers I never had," Bella added with a warm smile gracing her lips.

"They would try to always make sure that one or the other was there in the house with me so that Ron wouldn't try anything. But one night Jacob was late coming home from work and Mike had a scheduled meeting with a football scout from Florida State, so I promised Mike that I would stay in my room with the door locked until Jacob got home so he would go," Bella said as she began to tremble with emotion at the long buried memory. "I did stay in my room for quite a while, but I had forgotten to do the dishes."

A sharp pain twisted within Esme's cold chest as she watched silently as Bella began to relive the worst moment of her young life.

"So stupid me," Bella added with a derogatory laugh aimed at herself, "I left my room to go to the kitchen to do the dishes." Tears began to fall silently down Bella's pale cheeks as she stared unseeingly into the fire. "Ron was there and he had been drinking. I'll never forget the way he looked at me," Bella said without looking away from the orange-yellow flames. "He looked so smug, like he had finally won some prize he had been after." Bella went silent for a few minutes as she relived the moment that had changed her whole world.

Esme held her breath, afraid that even the sound of her nearly silent breathing would pull Bella away from her memories.

Bella wrapped her arms tightly around her waist as if she were struggling to keep herself from breaking apart. "When I saw him, I turned and tried to get back to my room, but he was so fast," Bella said as her voice became almost a whisper as if the words she was speaking would be too vile to hear if spoken in a normal tone. "I almost got the door closed and locked, but he got his boot between the door and he…" Bella's voice broke as she recalled the fear.

Esme stood and walked over to Bella's shaking form. "Bella," she called softly as she placed a comforting arm around her to guide her back to the bench to sit down. "Honey, you don't have to say anymore if you don't want to," Esme advised as she looked into Bella's terror-filled eyes and wondered just how much more she could endure.

Bella bent her head for a moment to collect herself before she looked up at Esme's concerned face. Seeing nothing but worry and acceptance in Esme's golden gaze Bella felt an unexplainable warmth spread through her as if she weren't all alone in the world for one of the first times in last six years. "I think I would like to continue if it's not to upsetting to you?" Bella asked with an uneasy look upon her pale face.

Esme felt awed by Bella who was proving to be such an amazing young woman who, even in one of most emotionally charged moments of her young life, could think of other's feelings beyond her own needs. Esme put her arm around Bella and pulled her head gently down upon her shoulder. "Bella," she said softly as she kissed the top of Bella' head affectionately. "I'm honored that you feel like you can confide in me. And please don't think that my reactions to your past is anything but sadness for what you had to go through," Esme imparted as she stroked Bella's arm soothingly.

Smiling into Esme's supportive shoulder, Bella felt as if some of Esme's strength was passing through to her, giving her the confidence to finish. "Thank you Esme," Bella whispered gratefully.

"I tried to keep him out by bracing the door with all my weight, but he out weighted me by at least a hundred pounds so he pushed his way into my room very easily. Once he was inside, I picked up a lamp and held it out in front of me to keep him away," Bella said in a strange detached tone as if she were only relaying some minor incident. "I'll never forget the look on his face when he laughed at me. He said _'You'd better watch yourself girl, you don't want to hurt yourself,' _while he walked around the bed towards me." Bella swallowed hard as she became engrossed in the memory. "I swung the lamp at his head but he ducked and I only caught the top of his shoulder. This made him very angry and he hit me on the left side of my face; I fell from the force of it. I was in a daze while I lay on the floor. He then leaned down and grabbed me by my hair and pulled me up onto the bed," Bella's voice retained the disconnected monotone as if she needed to distance herself in order to get through the words she was speaking. "He pinned me beneath his weight and ripped my shirt open. His eyes were so glazed, like he was beside himself with some unknown hunger," Bella said as a slight ripple of revulsion shot through her body.

"Be began trying to kiss me, I remember his breath smelled disgustingly of stale beer. He put his hands on my breasts, pinching and pulling them so painfully. I lay there unmoving as it took me a second to grasp what was happening," Bella said as her eyes took on an almost astonished look within their brown depths. "Then I began to fight; I pulled his hair, bit him where I could and clawed at his face." Bella shivered slightly as she continued with her story. "He literally roared with rage and drew back with his fist and hit me full in the face, breaking my nose. I covered my face with my hands and felt so much blood pouring from my nose," she whispered as she unknowingly touched her nose. "He continued to hit at me so I brought my knee up into his groin and he fell off me long enough for me to get off the bed and run. I got about as far as the hallway before he caught up," Bella said as she pulled out of Esme's embrace to stand and walk over to stare unseeingly into the gently rippling firelight.

Esme watched with a look rare look of anger on her usually serene features, wanting nothing more than to punish the man who had so cruelly inflicted so much pain on such a sweet young girl.

"He grabbed my head and began beating it against the wall," Bella continued in a barely auditable tone. "I think this is where it all gets kind of fuzzy. I felt as if I was just watching him beat some unknown person at that point, like I was high above and looking down. I remember feeling so sorry for the girl who lay there bleeding on the floor while Ron was kicking her repeatedly in the stomach." Bella said with a lilting quality. "Jacob came in about then and…" Bella began to sob as she tried to push through to the end. "He jumped on Ron and began chocking him. Ron tried to fight back but Jacob was just so much stronger and it was all over in just a minute. Ron laid dead, his eyes still open and staring at me even in his death."

Bella wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to push away the pain that had resurfaced so brutally. "Jacob's face was filled with utter shocked as he looked down at Ron's lifeless body, as if he didn't know what had happened. He was shaking so badly when he came over to me, I will never be able to forget the pain in his eyes when he realized that he had taken a life," Bella's voice broke as she sank down to her knees as her legs went out from under her.

Esme rushed to Bella's fallen form and pulled her protectively into her arms once again. "Oh honey," she offered soothingly as she began to rock Bella gently.

"And so Jacob gave up his life in order to save me," Bella said so dejectedly that Esme's dead heart actually ached for Bella's unequaled pain.

"No, honey," Esme interrupted as she leaned back to she could look in Bella's haunted eyes. "Jacob rescued you from some monster. He must be a remarkable young man to have stepped in as he did."

"He is Esme," Bella replied as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. "He gave up everything for me, and I don't think I can bare the guilt of it anymore."

Esme frowned at the look of self-loathing in Bella's eyes. "Bella, none of this was your fault!"

Bella let a hard laugh escape her trembling lips as she clenched her fists tightly. "You're wrong Esme," she whispered dejectedly. "It was all my fault, Jacob has to spend the rest of his life in prison because I forgot to do the dishes," Bella said with such a simple unblemished suffering that Esme knew that she would never again in her endless days ahead see such a raw and unmatched pain.

Pulling on the wisdom of her last seventy years, Esme resolved herself as she committed unconditionally to Bella's healing. "Bella," she called with a firmness that served to pull Bella from her anguished torture. "Listen to me! You were a sixteen year old girl who deserved to be protected. You did nothing wrong and neither did Jacob."

"But," Bella began, only to be interrupted by an insistent Esme.

"NO!" Esme shook her head firmly as she grasped Bella's shoulders in a strong firm hold. "The man who preyed upon a helpless girl got just what he deserved! You did nothing wrong and everything right!"

Bella watched in surprise as Esme offered her support so unreservedly. "But Jacob still had to give up his life, so…" Bella said as she pulled her eyes away from the intenseness of Esme's warm golden gaze.

"I don't know what happened in Jacob's case, but it can't have been right that he went to prison," Esme said as she began to calculate what needed to be done to correct the wrong that had gone on way too long. "I need to talk this over with Edward," she said as she got to her feet and then gently leaned down to pull a confused Bella to her feet as well.

"Edward?" Bella asked with a bewildered look upon her face.

Esme reached down and turned off the fire before taking Bella's hand in hers to gently pull her towards the back of Edward's majestic mansion. "Edward will know what we need to do to get Jacob freed," Esme said with a matter of fact tone that served to stop Bella in her tracks. "Bella?" Esme questioned as she turned to look at the younger woman.

"Do you really think that it's possible?" Bella asked with such a small improbable hope coloring her voice that Esme felt a new sense of conviction fill her, knowing that whatever it took, she would see that Bella had some form of happiness in her future.

"Yes, Bella I do," Esme said simply as she walked to where Bella stood and pulled her gently into her arms. "It will take some time, but you can rest assured that Edward will make sure that Jacob has the justice that was so obviously deigned to him."

"Edward," Bella whispered the name reverently causing a soft smile to appear on Esme's perfect lips.

"You really feel something special for him don't you?" Esme asked as she watched Bella's cheeks flush prettily.

After a moment of silent consideration Bella replied with an awed look in her warm brown eyes. "Yes," she replied with a truthfulness that served to startle her slightly.

Esme smile widened as she watched Bella's features take on a soft look of wonder that could only be the first realization that she was falling in love. "That's good, because I don't think that Edward could accept it if you didn't feel the same as he does."

Bella drew in a surprised breath at Esme's words feeling a strange sense of anticipation for the future.

Esme watched Bella carefully as she called out to Edward within her mind. 'Edward, she's okay now.'

Within the house Edward sprang to his feet and quickly raced towards the back glass doors, knowing that on the other side his one true purpose in this existence awaited. His Bella was at last ready for him.

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A/N Yay! Bella made it through and now it is Bella and Edward discovering each other and their new found love. But alas, don't forget the evil Rosalie is waiting in the wings to pull apart our two love birds. Oh the drama of it all! Please leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing.

Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Ten**

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked as she glanced up from the cookbook she was reading to her mother who had just entered through the back door.

"Edward is talking with her," Esme answered as she smiled warmly at her husband, who rose from the soft leather sofa to cross the room to kiss his wife. "Is something burning?"

"My apple pie!" Alice shrieked as she rushed towards the oven that had small puffs of smoke escaping from within.

"Alice is baking?" Esme asked with a skeptical look upon her beautiful face.

"I wouldn't exactly call it baking," Carlisle answered quietly as he tried not to grimace at the acrid odor coming from Edward's kitchen.

"Oh it's ruined!" Alice whined as she pulled the smoking blackened pie from the oven. "I did everything that the book said! This is so unfair!"

Esme walked over to the oven to switch it off and saw that Alice had inadvertently placed the temperature to broil. "I think you had the temperature up too high Alice," Esme observed as she glanced back at her daughter over her shoulder.

"Doesn't it bake faster if you increased the temperature?" Alice asked quizzically as she looked down at the chard mess in her pale white hands.

"I don't think it works that way," Esme said as she shared an amused look with her husband. "Let's open some windows," she suggested as she wondered how long it would take for the odor of Alice's creation to evaporate.

"Now what am I going to serve Bella?" Alice asked as she dropped the pie into the sink.

"I brought some premade dinners from the grocery store," Esme said as she watched a flash of guilt cross Alice's pixie face.

"Um," Alice said as she looked sheepishly towards the Italian marble floor. "I kind of burnt those too."

Carlisle bit his lip to keep from laughing at the astonished look on his wife's face.

"All of them?" Esme asked as she recalled that she had purchased no less than ten packages.

"You were with Bella quite a while," Carlisle reminded softly as if to explain the demise of the meals.

"I was only trying to help," Alice provided in a small miserable voice.

Esme smiled at the dejected look on her youngest's face. "I know you were honey," Esme said as she put a comforting arm around Alice's slumping shoulders. "Tell you what. Why don't you go get Jasper and then order something from a restaurant to bring back here."

Surprise lit up Alice's eyes as she tried to grasp the concept of take out. "You mean they will let you take the food out of the restaurant?"

Carlisle rolled his eyes at the lack of knowledge his daughter had of human life today if it involved something other than shopping. "Yes, they do," he added as he withdrew his cell phone to contact his secretary to get the number of a popular restaurant that the hospital staff ordered from frequently. "Hi Margie. Could you please do me a favor and give me the number of Maggiano's?" he asked with a velvet tone that would melt any woman's heart from age sixteen to sixty. Carlisle paused as he listened to his efficient secretary offer to call in the order for him. "Oh, thank you. There are about six of us so if you could just order a variety of dishes. I'll have my daughter Alice pick it up in about half an hour." Carlisle smiled into the phone. "Thank you Margie, I don't know what I'd do without you." He praised before he ended the call. "All set. Alice, Maggiano's is on the corner of Spruce and Main, you don't mind do you?"

"No of course not," Alice sighed as she was still somewhat disappointed that she hadn't been able to produce even one edible dish. "I'll call Jasper from the car," she said as she grabbed up her Marc Jacob's bag and headed for the door.

"Why did you order so much food?" Esme asked her husband as a frown marred her pale brow, knowing that even for Bella's benefit that her vampire family couldn't choke down more than a bite or two of human food.

"It's more for show than anything," Carlisle answered with a sigh. "Anyway, we can make an excuse to leave once we start 'eating'. Besides, I really want to get home to have a talk with Rosalie," he said with a never before heard terseness to his tone.

"Carlisle?" Esme called to him softly as she was instantly concerned.

"Rosalie has made some very unwarranted comments about Edward and Bella, and I think that we need to get to the bottom of this before it gets any worse," Carlisle answered, his face still tense.

Esme frowned as the mention of Rosalie's behavior. She had always suspected that Rosalie had secretly longed for Edward but since Edward didn't' return Rosalie's feeling she had assumed that Rosalie had let it go and had finally given her heart to Emmett. Not wanting to alarm her husband, Esme decided for the moment to keep quiet about her suspicion.

"Let's not talk about Rosalie just yet," Carlisle suggested as he took Esme's hand and led her over to the sofa. "How is Bella?" He asked with a marked concern.

Esme paused before she answered, wondering just how much she should impart of Bella's sad story. "She's had a very…difficult life," Esme replied with a wistful sigh. "She is going to need a lot of patience and understanding from Edward."

Carlisle nodded his agreement as his lips tightened slightly at the thought of the hard road he knew his son was going to have to travel in order to help Bella. "I have all the confidence in the world in Edward," he announced with a look of pure determination within his warm brown eyes.

Esme smiled up at the handsome husband, who had his conviction so clearly defined upon his perfect face. "So do I," she agreed with a mother's pride, knowing that if anyone was up to the task of helping Bella find a healing path, it would be her son.

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Bella walked uneasily at Edward's side as a strange and uncomfortable mood seemed to settled around them both.

Edward tried to push away his continuing frustration that for some unknown reason he couldn't read her thoughts, for if ever he needed his gift it was now. Not knowing what he needed to do or say to make Bella feel more at ease was causing him an almost physical pain as he continued to struggle for something to say to break the awkward silence.

Bella mistook Edward's frustration that he was unable to completely screen from her, as a confirmation of his rightful disappointment in her. Knowing that she had done nothing but alienate him since the disaster of last night, she wouldn't be surprised if he wanted nothing more to do with her.

As the uncomfortable silence stretched on, Edward silently cursed himself that he passed up watching the reality show that Alice had always tried to persuade him to watch, 'The Pick-up Artist' or some such nonsensical title. _'A complete waste of my intelligence,'_ he had scoffed at Alice at the time, but now that he was confronted with the beautiful Bella, he was at a complete loss of what to say to her. The tips the bizarre hat wearing host was always spouting off to his pupils now didn't seem to be as pointless as he had once deemed them.

Bella drew in a deep breath as she glanced at Edward beneath her dark lashes, frowning slightly at the scowl that was gracing his still incredibly gorgeous face; she decided that her apology was long overdue. "Edward," she called to him softly as she stopped walking to turn towards him.

Edward felt a strange ripple of excitement shoot through his body at the sound of his name upon her soft lips. He froze and gazed down at her with a look of total adoration in his compelling eyes that he didn't try to mask.

Bella stared silently in awe at the transformation on Edward's flawless face, momentarily forgetting what she was about to say. After a short moment, Bella shook her head slightly as if to clear her thoughts, finally remembering that she had been about to apologize to him. "I wanted to say how sorry I am about last night," she said as she looked down at her feet, unable to look at his beautiful eyes any longer. "And this morning as well," she added in a slightly rushed, nervous tone.

Edward frowned at Bella's down bent head, wishing that he could simply reach out and take her hand in his without frightening her. "There's no need to apologize Bella," he replied softly, his voice a soothing silk to her ears.

Looking up hesitantly, Bella smiled sadly at the look of complete understanding in Edward's honey brown eyes. "I guess I owe you some sort of explanation to why I acted like I did," she said as she looked up towards the grey skies above as if trying to garner some strength from a higher power from above.

Edward watch in fascination as a wide range of emotions danced quickly across Bella's exquisite face. From weariness to fear, pain, and then settling on such a look of absolute sadness that it threatened to split his stone cold heart in two. Unable to remain still any longer, Edward silently took the three steps between them to bring him within touching distance. Tentatively, he reached out and tenderly traced the curve of her delicate cheek, marveling at its smooth softness and warm beauty.

Bella closed her eyes as she leaned into Edward's gentle caress, welcoming his cool touch as if she had been waiting her entire life for just this one moment.

Edward felt a lump form in his throat at the sight of the beautiful woman who stood so trustingly before him. A fragile trust that he promised himself would never be taken for granted. "I don't need you to explain anything to me Bella," he said in a velvety tone that blanketed Bella within its warmth. "All that I want is for you to feel safe."

Bella smiled softly at the unmistakable protectiveness in his voice, amazed that she could be so lucky to have Edward staring so intently at her as if she were one of the most important things in his world. "Being here with you now makes me feel safe," Bella whispered as she shyly looked up into his inviting gaze.

Edward felt his chest fill with an unexplainable pride, pride that he could make the woman who had stolen his heart feel safe in a world that had been so cruel to her. "I promise that I will always keep you safe," he vowed as he took the single step that still separated them and gently enfolded her slender frame in his arms.

Bella leaned her head on Edward's strong shoulder as she felt an overwhelming sense of home settle about her, as if she had finally found the place she belonged.

Edward rested his chin lovingly atop her chestnut brown hair, inhaling deeply as if trying to engrave this precious moment into his memory for all time.

Bella's arms gently encircled Edwards lean waist as she wondered if he too were feeling the same strange sense of belonging that she was.

Edward simply held her tenderly for several long minutes, neither one of them speaking for fear of breaking the new bond that was blossoming between them.

A few spatters of rain began to fall from the darkening grey skies above, thus breaking the enchanting spell that had held both Edward and Bella immobilized. "I'd better get you inside," Edward advised with a noticeable trace of regret in his tone as he leaned back to look down at Bella's beautiful face.

Bella felt satisfying warmth spread through her as she sensed that Edward too didn't want to have to return to the real world in much the same way as she. Smiling, she nodded her agreement as she loosened her arms from around his waist.

Edward returned her smile as he took her one of her soft hands in his and led her gently towards the house. "I think I'd better warn you," he said with an amused smile dancing across his perfect lips. "Alice has taken it upon herself to be a cook today and let's just say that I don't know what we are going to have to dine on this evening."

A quizzical look entered into Bella's eyes as she looked over at Edward's half amused and half fearful face. "Don't you like your sister's cooking?"

"Since this is the first time that Alice has ever attempted cooking, I guess the correct answer would be 'I don't know yet'," Edward answered with a mischievous glint in his honey brown eyes. "But from what I've seen so far today, I don't think that Alice should set her heart on becoming a chef."

"So she hasn't been having an easy time of it then?" Bella asked with sympathy lacing her words

"After the twelve failed attempts she's made at making a meal for you I'd say my poor oven was the thing that hasn't had an easy time of it," Edward imparted with a wiry twist to his lips.

"She tried cooking twelve dishes today, all for me?" Bella asked softly as a wealth of emotion began to spread through her at the thought of Alice going to so much trouble on her behalf.

Edward, instantly picking up on Bella's tone, quickly looked down into her eyes that were beginning to fill with tears. "Hey, what's this?" he asked gently as he tenderly took her face between his cold hands.

"I can't remember when someone ever tried to cook for me before," Bella answered quietly as a single tear escaped to trail slowly down her cheek.

Edward gently wiped away her tear with his thumb, his love for her growing at the true beauty that she held within. Smiling, he leaned down and softly kissed her trembling lips.

Bella drew in a shocked breath at Edward's unexpected kiss, her tears instantly replaced with a look of newly awakening love within her warm brown eyes.

Edward watched entranced once again by the play of emotions racing across Bella's sweet face. His chest filling with joy at the look of answering love in her eyes. "I guess we'd better see what Alice has in store," he advised as he traced her bottom lip with the tip of his fore finger.

Unable to speak past the emotional lump in her throat, Bella nodded her head slightly before reaching for his hand with a new sense of confidence before turning towards the house. A sensation of hope taking up residence within her as she walked hand in hand with the one man who she knew would never let her down.

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A/N Yay! 97 reviews and counting. Next chapter, more Bella and Edward getting to know each other, not so sad though, I think they need some happy fun time together. Thanks again for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled (Stay warm!)**

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Eleven**

_Five days later_

"I'd like to help you Edward, but this is an election year and I have to consider what the voters would think," Governor Reaves imparted with a pained expression on his plump ruddy face as he didn't want to offend his top contributor.

Edward leaned back in his chair and studied the older man with a barely leashed menacing glare in his nearly black eyes. "As you said Governor, this is an election year," he said as he with a slightly threatening tone that instantly caused the other man to swallow hard. "I would hate to have to announce Cullen Telecommunication's future plans to relocate to another state while you were still in office so to speak."

Gerald Reaves flushed a bright red at Edward's implied threat of moving his company to another state. The loss of jobs and tax revenue would be catastrophic to the state's economy, not to mention the detriment it would be to his own personal benefit in his bid for reelection. "Now let's not be hasty Edward," Gerald backpedaled quickly as he sat forward in his leather chair. "I didn't say that I wouldn't pardon this…" he paused as he looked down to retrieve the name from the pardon application that Edward had just presented to him, "Jacob Black, only that I had to consider the impact it would have on my campaign for reelection."

Edward hid his disgust as he read the older man's selfish thoughts and wondered just how someone as self-serving as Gerald Reaves had ever reached such a high office. "Rest assured Governor," Edward began with an almost bored tone. "I would make it my personal mission to be of any assistance to you in your campaign if you would help me out with this matter."

Nodding his head in understanding, Gerald knew that he was well cornered and that he must acquiesce and grant Edward's request to pardon Jacob Black in order to save his job, not to mention the thousands of jobs that Cullen Telecommunications provided within the state. "Alright Edward," he said with a resigned sigh. "I'll have my team draw up the necessary paperwork on Monday. The press is going to have a field day with this story."

Edward frowned at the unforeseen threat of publicity that could possibly bring Bella into the public eye. Knowing that she was still struggling to deal with her painful past, Edward vowed that he would do everything within his power to keep the pardon out of the news. "Let me handle the press, I don't want any word of this leaking out."

Relieved to hear that Edward seemed to be as eager as he to keep the press at bay, Gerald relaxed for the first time in the last twenty minutes since the tall, pale billionaire entered his office. Rising from behind his large mahogany desk, he smiled nervously. "Grace is having a few people over for drinks this evening, would you care to join us?"

Edward rose from his chair as well. "No thank you Governor, I have plans for this evening," he refused politely as he held out his hand for a quick handshake, wanting to swiftly put an end to the late evening meeting as he was anxious to get to the bar where Bella worked in order to keep an eye on her.

"Another time then," Gerald said as he repressed a shiver at the coldness of Edward's firm handshake.

Edward nodded as he passed through the open doorway. "Thank you for your time," he said formally as he made his way towards the grand entrance of the Governor's mansion.

"Good night Edward," Gerald called after Edward's quickly retreating form while wondering just who Jacob Black was to garner the support of such an important man.

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Bella drew a draft from the tap as she listened to the two skimpily dressed Mike Newton football groupies admire some poor unsuspecting male who had just entered the bar with an amused smile.

"Oh my God!" the blond with the surgically enhanced breast whispered dramatically. "Do you see him?"

The bottled redhead to her right gasped as her line of sight beheld a pale tall bronzed haired man who had just come in from the cold. "He's mine Rachel!" she called with an unmistakable ownership in her tone that nearly caused Bella to laugh out loud.

"No way!" the blond fired back, her blue eyes flashing challengingly. "Besides, you already called Mike Newton."

At the mention of Mike's name, Bella was unable to stop a short laugh from escaping and quickly hid it under the guise of a cough. "Here you go ladies," she said with a smile as she placed two light beers in front of the young women who were still in the mist of deciding whom would be pursuing who for the night. Following their gaze to the front entrance Bella felt her breath lodge in her throat at the elegant vision Edward created as he stood statue still staring back at her with his signature crooked smile. With a frown of confusion she called to her boss to let him know that she was taking a quick break.

Edward watched as Bella slipped under an opening behind the bar to cross the crowded room to his side with a slightly bemused look in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Edward," she greeted as she reached for his hand to pull him towards a less crowded area. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she looked up at his gorgeous face.

"Well since I am being so cruelly denied your company for the night, I thought I'd have a men's night out with Jasper and Emmett," he answered as he leaned down to brush her lips with a quick gentle kiss.

Bella, seeing an opportunity, leaned into his kiss with a small purposeful smile playing about her lips. She deepened his gentle kiss into a hot, passionate display that had Edward tensing with a ravenous hunger that had nothing to do with the normal burning thirst for blood he usually experienced while in Bella's presence. "Let me find you a table," she said a little breathlessly once she reluctantly pulled away from him, while listening to the sour comments directed at her from the two women who now knew that the tall good-looking man they had been fighting over was undeniably spoken for.

Edward, unable to speak, merely nodded as he allowed her to lead him to a secluded table in the back of the bar.

"What can I get you?" she asked with a slightly smug look in her eyes as she could tell that her kiss had not left him unaffected.

Frowning, Edward looked down at his hands, relieved that at least they didn't seem to be as unsteady as his breathing. "I'll just take a beer," he said as he looked up into the impish grin on Bella's beautiful face.

"I'll bring you a pitcher," she announced as she leaned down to press a quick apologetic kiss to his cheek as she danced off to get his order.

Edward watched her closely as she seemed to have a new lightness about her that he had never before seen. Smiling, he wished that she could always seem to be as happy as she did at this moment. 'Bro, where are you?' Emmett's thought intruded, pulling his attention to the front entrance where Emmett and Jasper stood. Raising his hand he caught their attention and motioned for them to join him.

"So this is a sports bar," Emmett observed as he slid into one side of the booth, his massive arms resting casually on the lacquered wooden table before him.

"Edward," Jasper greeted as he slid in beside his brother Emmett.

"How did you get away from Alice?" Edward asked with a knowing look of amusement.

Rolling his eyes, Jasper replayed the memory of his and Alice's argument for his brother's benefit.

Laughing out loud, Edward shot Jasper a sympathetic look. "Sorry Jasper, I'll make it up to both you and Alice," he apologized.

"She'll get over it," Emmett advised absently while he continued to look around him in awe at all of the sports memorabilia on the walls.

"Well she has already decided just how you're going to make it up to her Edward," Jasper said warningly with a mocking light dancing within his topaz colored eyes.

Edward's eyes focused shrewdly on Jasper's face as he read his thoughts and sighed resignedly at the upcoming dinner party that Alice was planning for next Tuesday evening. "At least tell me she's not planning on cooking?" Edward asked with a pleading look on his perfect face.

Jasper laughed at the pained look on his brother's face. "She is, but don't worry, she seems to be getting better, the smoke detector only went off three times today," he announced with glee as Edward was unable to suppress a groan.

Emmett looked confused as he glanced from one brother to the next. "What are you talking about?"

"Alice has decided that she needs to learn how to cook for Bella," Jasper informed dryly.

"Oh," Emmett said as a new frown appeared on his brow. "So how do you get away without eating in front of Bella?" he asked very softly so as not to be heard by any of the other patrons.

"Edward bought three golden retrievers who are always conveniently available at meal times to act as surrogate eaters under the table," Jasper relayed with a wicked grin at Edward's expression.

"Hi Jasper, Emmett," Bella greeted as she placed a large pitcher of beer on the table, followed by three tall pilsner glasses.

"Hi Bella," Jasper smiled as he stood to kiss her cheek gently in greeting.

"Hey Bella," Emmett greeted less formally. "Is Mike coming in tonight?" he asked with an excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

Smiling at Edward's large bear of a brother, Bella smiled as she answered the question that she had answered at least twenty times since her shift began three hours ago. "He usually does make an appearance on Friday nights."

A pleased look flashed across Emmett's handsome face as he leaned back with a satisfied smile. "So Bella how was your week?" he asked as he casually placed one of his beefy arms upon the back of the booth.

"Great," Bella answered as she quickly discounted everything that happened prior to Sunday evening. "And yours?" she asked in return.

"Great!" he answered with a huge grin. "I was able to get ten jumps in this week."

Bella frowned in confusion at Emmett's last comment.

"Emmett runs a sky diving school and when he has a lull of student's he gets to take advantage of jumping himself," Jasper filled in helpfully.

Bella's eyes lit up instantly. Sliding into the booth next to Edward, she leaned forward and focused her sole attention on Emmett. "Do you think you could teach me?" she asked with a sharp light of anticipation dancing in her eyes.

Emmett chuckled at Bella's excitement which stood in sharp contrast to the look of horror that was clearly defined on Edward's. "Sure Bella, what are you doing tomorrow morning?" he asked as he watched Edward pale a lighter shade of white than his normal vampire shade.

"NO!" Edward choked out after he swallowed past a lump of fear that had clogged his throat. "No way are you taking her up!"

Bella looked sharply to her right at Edward as he shot a menacing look at his amused brother. "Edward!" Bella admonished as she stared at him with a frown marring her smooth brow.

"You're not going up Bella," he said with a razor-sharp edge of authority that she had never heard before.

Bella watched in utter shock as a blazing anger began to alight within Edward's nearly black eyes. A sense of her own answering anger began to simmer hotly as she tried to comprehend why Edward thought he had the right to decide what she could or could not do.

Seeing that both Bella and Edward were about to erupt into a rage filled argument, Jasper immediately set about to sooth the high emotions with his gift.

Bella shook her head in confusion as a strange calming peace began to settle around her in place of the indignant anger she was feeling just a short second ago. "Maybe we can discuss this later Edward," she heard herself respond without really understanding why.

Edward took her face gently between his hands and touched his forehead to hers as he pleaded softly to her, "Bella, please try to understand that I just can't bear to think of you in any sort of dangerous situation."

Bella felt a shiver race through her body as she looked into Edward's dark eyes and saw that he had a look of unmistakable fear within their depths; a fear that something may happen to her. Her heart instantly softened in response to his plea. Smiling she grasped one of his hands in hers and brought it her lips to press a soft kiss into his palm. "Thank you," she whispered as she looked deep into his dark eyes, not bothering to question why his eyes seemed to be much darker than their usually golden color.

Relaxing slightly, Edward traced the curve of her cheek with the back of his fingers with a tenderness that served to melt Bella's heart. "What are you thanking me for?" he asked softly.

"For really caring about me," Bella responded simply as she wished that they were not here in a crowded bar surrounded by a multitude of people.

Shaking his head ruefully, Edward leaned in and gently kissed her lips.

"Oh come on!" Emmett whined slightly as Edward and Bella continued to stare at one another. "So I don't get to take her up?"

Edward turned a menacing gaze to his brother as if he were daring him to even consider uttering another word on the subject.

Holding his hand up in surrender Emmett smiled sheepishly. "Alright Edward," he said with a slightly sulking tone. "I guess I won't be able to teach you Bella," he advised Bella with a sad look in his amber eyes.

Bella smiled at the look of Edward's hulking brother. "That's okay Emmett," she said as she rose from the booth knowing that giving up a chance to sky dive was a small price to pay for the look of relief in Edward's astonishingly handsome face. "I need to get back to work."

"What time do you get off?" Edward asked as he rose from the booth to gently pull her into a loose embrace.

"We close at two but I need to help clean up, so about two forty-five," Bella answered as she looked up at him in confusion.

"Would you mind if I stayed around to give you a ride home?" he asked with an intense look in his dark eyes that had Bella wondering why he seemed to be so interested in seeing her home.

"Okay," she said after she studied him quizzically for a short second. "Is everything okay?" she asked as a feeling of apprehension began to flow through her.

Smiling at the look of trepidation on Bella's gentle features Edward reached out and tweaked the tip of her nose affectionately. "Everything is wonderful, I just want a chance to talk with you about something involving Jacob's situation," he admitted quietly.

Hope flared within Bella like a beacon, knowing that Esme must have spoken with Edward regarding Jacob's unfair imprisonment. "Edward?" she questioned as tears began to well within her eyes.

Seeing her tears, Edward pulled her gently into his arms so he could whisper softly into her ear. "It will soon be over Bella," he began as he felt her heartbeat begin to accelerate to a quickened pace. "Jacob will be freed by Tuesday at the latest."

Bella felt her knees buckle beneath her at the news that Jacob was finally about to be freed. Tears began to flow unheedingly from her soft brown eyes as Edward reached down to tenderly lift her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Okay?" he asked gently as he tenderly wiped away her tears.

Unable to speak Bell nodded her head.

Jasper felt Bella's happiness and relief wash through him and instantly shared it with Edward who closed his eyes at the sensation of pure and utter happiness that flowed from Bella through Jasper to himself. Smiling, he felt an easy sense of peace fill him that he had been the one to bring such a joy to the woman he loved. Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "I love you Bella Swan."

Bella drew in a shocked breath and leaned back to stare in awe at the man who in the last two weeks had become the center of her world. New tears began to fill her eyes as she reached out to touch his soft lips in wonder. "I love you too," she said with a new found joy to her tone that caused Edward's flawless face to break into an exquisite portrait of unmitigated happiness.

"Bells!" Mike's shout broke through the tender shared moment, causing Edward to frown slightly. Bella reached up and pressed a quick kiss to Edward's cold lips before she turned to greet her foster brother.

"Hi Mike," she said as she disengaged herself from Edward's arms to throw them around Mike with a huge hug that caught Mike by surprise.

"Hey little sis," he said as he returned he embrace with a confused look on his face. "You okay?" he asked as he pulled back to look down into her radiant face.

"Yes," she nodded happily as she looked back at Edward with a soft smile. "I'm okay," the deeper meaning to her words meant for the man who she knew would be the one person who would always be the man who held her heart.

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A/N Thanks for the reviews, over 100 now! But oh how I long for more! Please review even if it's just a word or two…smiley faces are great too! Okay next chapter we get some more of the evil Rosalie. Yay! My favorite thing to write, the jealous female! Oh and team Jacob fans Jacob is being released but there won't be a love relationship with Bella in this story, maybe in a future story but Edward and Bella will have enough to deal with in this one with mean old Rosalie, oh if you only knew what she was planning!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephanie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled (Stay warm!) **_**(Trying! -2 degrees at the moment!)**_

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Twelve**

"What time is it?" Bella asked anxiously as she continued to pace the length of Edward's impressive foyer.

Alice glanced up from her cookbook with a slightly annoyed expression gracing her flawless features. "Bella, it's only ten minutes since the last time you asked."

Bella heaved a deep sigh as she wondered what was causing Edward and Jacob's delay. "What if the Governor changed his mind?" Bella asked with an unhidden alarm to her tone as she looked anxiously towards Edward's sister who sat so calmly upon a plush pale green suede sofa, her dancer's legs tucked under her gracefully.

Alice, who had already seen the vision of Bella and Jacob's reunion several times in her mind's eye in the last few days, carefully closed her book and rose gracefully to cross the room to put a comforting arm around Bella's tense shoulders. "Bella, you need to relax. Edward has everything under control," she offered with a solid confidence that caused Bella to nod her head in agreement. Knowing that Bella needed a distraction Alice quickly changed the subject. "So, you haven't told me where Edward took you last night," Alice stated as she led Bella over to the sofa.

Bella blushed slightly as she remembered the magic of the prior evening. "Edward surprised me with tickets to the symphony," she answered with a soft smile.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Alice asked as she slipped down on the sofa next to Bella, secretly anticipating the thrill of what human females considered 'girl talk'.

"It was wonderful," Bella sighed contently with a soft warm light shining from her brown eyes. "Edward is just so…"she paused as she tried to find a word that would describe just how utterly amazing Edward was.

Alice smiled impishly as she watched Bella's dreamy look. "Edward is just so what?" she asked after a few more silent seconds passed.

Bella just smiled serenely and shook her head slightly, feeling as if she were living a dream. "He is just the most amazing and thoughtful person…" her words trailed off as she struggled to convey how special Edward was to her. "I mean, he always seems to be thinking about what would make me happy, I've never known anyone who was so selfless before. He is just about the most perfect man I have ever met. I am so lucky that he wants to be with me," Bella said with a reverence that only touched on the depth of her powerful feelings for the man who had stolen her heart only a few weeks ago.

"So you really like him then?" Alice asked with a feigned casualness that was belied with the intenseness of her golden gaze.

Bella frowned slightly at the word 'like', as her feelings for Edward ran much deeper. "I love him," she responded simply, watching in awe as Alice's perfect lips formed a happy grin.

"Well thank goodness for that! I don't know what I would have done if you didn't return his feelings," Alice said with an exaggerated sigh of relief.

Bella frowned in bewilderment causing Alice to giggle musically.

"What I mean is that Edward can be hell to live with if he doesn't get what he wants, and since he has decided that he wants you above all things, then it's good that you seem to want him too," she concluded solidly. "Speaking of the devil, I think he is pulling up the drive," Alice said as she watched Bella jump up and race towards the door.

Edward pulled his black BMW smoothly to a stop and watched as Bella flew out of the door with a smile of happiness on his perfect face, his eyes alighting at the sight of her with joy undeniably evident in her beautiful face.

Bella froze a few feet from the passenger side of the car as she peered into the tinted windows, unable to see if Jacob was within.

Jacob swallowed hard at the sight of his foster sister, who looked so beautiful as she waited patiently for him. Opening the door, he slowly slid out of the car; his six foot three inch frame stood stone still as he stared at the young woman whose chocolate brown eyes began to fill with tears. "Bella," he called as he held out his long arms.

Bella ran into Jacob's outstretched arms and hugged him tightly. "Oh Jacob," she sobbed into his broad chest, a feeling of long awaited release washing over her soothingly.

Jacob smiled into her hair as he laid his head gently upon hers, his own eyes filling with stinging tears which he quickly blinked away. "Hey now," he admonished gently. "What's with the waterworks?" he asked playfully as he leaned back to tenderly wipe away her tears with his calloused fingertips.

Bella sniffed a few times as she recovered herself. "Sorry," she said as she gazed up into his tanned face. "I'm just so glad you're here."

"Me too Bells," he said as he tweaked her nose teasingly.

Bella glanced around to see Edward waiting quietly to their right, a look of peace in his beautiful topaz eyes. Pulling free of Jacob's loose embrace she raced over to Edward and threw herself into his surprised arms.

Edward wrapped her protectively within his cold hard arms, feeling such a strong love fill him as he held her tenderly.

"Thank you," Bella whispered softly as she pulled back to look into his incredibly gorgeous face with an undeniable love shining in her unblinking gaze.

Edward leaned down and placed a cold gentle kiss upon her lips. "You're welcome," he said as he reached up to trace the delicate curve of her cheek.

"Are you just going to stand around outside all afternoon?" Alice asked with a sarcastic edge from the double doors that graced the entrance of Edward's home.

"Hello Alice," Edward greeted his sometimes annoying sister with a dry look. "Jacob, this is my sister Alice Hale. Alice this is Jacob Black," Edward introduced as he led Bella towards the house.

Alice smiled in welcome at the large young man who seemed to be slightly uncomfortable. "Hi Jacob," she said in her signature melodic tone.

"Mrs. Hale," Jacob greeted more formally.

"Mrs. Hale?" Alice repeated with a frown on her flawless face. "You'll make me feel old if you call me that," she complained as she entwined one of her arms through his and led him into Edward's mansion. "Call me Alice," she instructed as she patted his wide bicep reassuringly.

"Um, okay…Alice," Jacob muttered awkwardly as he allowed her to pull him into the elegant living room off the main foyer.

"Sit down Jacob," Alice instructed as she motioned to the pale green sofa. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No thank you," Jacob responded as he looked towards Bella with an almost pleading expression.

Edward, quickly reading Jacob's thoughts, knew that he and Alice needed to let Bella and Jacob have some alone time. "Alice, do you have time to go into the office with me?" he asked with a meaningful look directed at his sister.

Instantly understanding Edward's silent message, Alice smiled. "Of course, I have the whole afternoon free. I need to go into the city anyway to get the ingredients for the dish I'm making for tomorrow night dinner. Jacob, you'll come won't you? It will just be my family and Bella and Mike of course," Alice informed as she gazed expectantly at Jacob.

Jacob looked towards Bella with a helpless expression on his tanned face. "I guess if Mike and Bella are going to be there and it won't be any trouble for you," he advised Alice.

"Great! Now were even numbers again," she said more to herself than to the others. "Edward, we will need to stop and get some wine as well."

Edward nearly groaned out loud at being roped into helping out with Alice's dinner party. "Fine," he said somewhat briskly before he turned his tender gaze towards Bella whose hand he held. "Bella, do you mind if Alice and I leave for a while? I do have some contracts that I need to review."

Knowing that Edward had been neglecting his work for the last few days in order to secure Jacob's release, Bella felt a slight sting of guilt assail her. "I've been keeping you from working haven't I? She asked with a pained look in her eyes.

Edward frowned at the change he saw in Bella's expression. "No," he answered with a soft smile. "You have been making the last few days the best of my life," he whispered sincerely into her ear so that only she could hear.

Bella's heart lifted at Edward's words. "I don't deserve you," she said with a new look of wonder in her eyes.

"It's I who doesn't deserve you," he replied with a light caress of her jaw line with his lips.

"Hello!" Alice's call interrupted impatiently. "There are two other people here."

Bella blushed slightly at Alice as she pulled out of Edward's embrace. "I'll just catch up with Jacob while you're gone," she advised softly.

Edward, not ready to let her go pulled her back into his arms, "I'm not going to see you for the next four hours so I need a kiss to sustain me," he said with an intent look as he dramatically bent her over his arm and kissed her breathless.

"Oh brother," Alice moaned sarcastically as she picked up her purse, "I'll be waiting in the car when you can finally pull yourself away," she advised as she walked passed the kissing couple.

"I think I can survive now," Edward announced with a smug expression on his gorgeous face.

Bella swayed unsteadily as she tried to recover from Edward's passionate kiss. Edward laughed lightly as he steadied her, "Okay?" Unable to speak Bella nodded mutely.

With a quick kiss to her lips Edward released her and walked out the door with lightness to his step that attested to his happiness.

"So Bells," Jacob began as he stared at his still silent sister. "Tell me about you and Edward," he inquired with a raised eyebrow over his penetrating gaze.

Bella began to blush again as she walked over to her brother and began to fill him in on the man who now held her heart.

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"I've got you here next to Edward, Bella, and Jacob, you can sit next to Bella," Alice instructed as she expertly maneuvered her guests to their assigned seating; the humans within the room unaware of the importance of their correct placement for the place in which her vampire family members sat had a hidden compartment under the table in which they could all deposit their uneaten food surreptitiously.

Bella smiled up at Edward as he held her chair out for her with a gentleman's grace of a time gone by. "Thank you," she murmured softly, still in awe that she had been lucky enough to find someone as perfect as Edward.

"Jasper, Esme," Alice summoned as she made her way towards the kitchen to retrieve the first course, a lobster salad on fresh spring greens.

"Oh, Alice!" Bella exclaimed as her friend placed the chilled dish in front of her. "This looks so delicious."

Alice beamed at Bella's complement. "Thank you Bella, I really wanted everything to be just perfect for tonight."

"Alice, this is amazing," Esme said as she expertly feigned a bite of the cold salad. "You just have to give me the recipes," she added as she quickly shot Emmett a cold look as he was currently biting his lip to stop from laughing at her acting performance.

Carlisle, following his wife's lead, added his own complement, "Esme's right Alice, this is fantastic," he said as he secretly deposited a large lump of lobster meat under the table into his secret compartment.

"This wine is fantastic," Mike commented as he took a drink of the white wine. "I'd love to know the name and vintage."

"Edward was the one who selected all of the wine for this evening," Alice advised as she smiled at the memory of Edward's hour long research before selecting the wine.

"It's a '78 California riesling," Edward supplied as he watched Bella from beneath his dark lashes, enjoying the fact that she seemed to be happily enjoying his sister's somewhat erratic cooking.

"Hey Mike," Emmett cut in almost rudely. "What do you thing the Seahawks chances are to make the playoffs this year?"

Rosalie groaned at her husband whose only intent for the evening seemed to revolve around Mike Newton and football.

Mike smiled apologetically towards the beautiful blonde to his left before he answered. "It's going to be a long shot to even make it into the wild card round," he predicted before he took his last bite of lobster.

"That's what I thought," Emmett answered with a clear disappointment in his bronze eyes.

"How did your exams go Bella," Mike asked as he turned his attention to his sister.

Groaning Bella flushed slightly as she didn't think she did as well as she should have, with trading her time studying for time with Edward. "I'm not sure Mike, I guess I'll have to wait for the grades to post," she advised with a little reservation to her tone that Edward picked up on immediately.

"You're still planning on a career in law?" Jacob asked as he finished his glass of wine.

Bella was thoughtful for a moment as she considered Jacob's question. The decision to major in pre-law was in reaction to the injustice that Jacob had faced, but now that he was freed it kind of seemed pointless to hold onto her commitment when law was truly not her first choice in way of a career. "I'm not sure Jacob; I guess I need to think on that some."

Edward regarded her with a surprised look on his perfect face, wondering why she seemed to be confused about her choice when she was only about three semesters from obtaining her bachelor's degree. Promising himself that he would have a serious talk with her later, he let his curiosity falter for the time being. "How was your trip to Paris, Rosalie?" he asked in order to change the subject as well as to secretly bring his sister's thoughts to his mind, thoughts that she had been successful at hiding all evening by reciting the song 'Let it snow' in sixteen different languages.

Rosalie tensed unconsciously as Edward called on her. Carefully she pushed any thoughts regarding her hatred for Bella away before she answered his question. "It was great; I was able to secure some amazing textiles for next year's fall collection."

Edward's teeth clenched tight as he caught a brief glimpse of Rosalie's dark thoughts before she was able to push them aside.

Jasper, feeling a violent rage within Edward, quickly shot him a feeling of calmness which earned him an annoyed grimace from his brother.

"I guess we're all about ready for the main course?" Alice asked as she gracefully bounced to her feet to retrieve the dishes.

"I'll help," Rosalie offered, quickly wanting to escape from Edward's hard speculating stare for just a brief moment.

"The plates are over there," Alice instructed as she began to carefully place her perfectly prepared veal onto the fine china dinner plates. "There is a light sauce on the stove that needs to be drizzled over the veal," she instructed Rosalie.

"Tell me how Edwards was able to get Bella's brother released?" Rosalie asked as she spooned the green sauce over the veal.

"Edward had the Governor issue a pardon," Alice informed her sister absently as she continued to plate the veal.

"A pardon," Rosalie responded with a surprise in her tone. "I thought that only outgoing politicians issued pardons. I thought that Governor Reaves was going to run for another term next year."

"He is," Alice answered knowingly. "Edward had to use some pressure in order to get him to cooperate. But in the end it all worked out."

"Maybe for Jacob and Edward, but what is the Governor going to do when this gets out into the press?" Rosalie asked, her topaz eyes alighted with curiosity.

"Edward took care of that as well," Alice said softly. "No one will ever find out as he had everyone involved sign a very tight confidentiality agreement. He didn't want to take any chances that the press might do something to upset Bella."

Rosalie smiled menacingly as she filed away the information her sister unknowingly supplied. "Should I add the green beans as well?"

"Yes," Alice added as she glanced down at the plate that held her veal dish, rosemary potatoes and fresh steamed green beans. "I think we're ready," she said with a satisfied look in her warm golden gaze.

"I think I should warn you that Alice has assigned me the photographer duties for the evening," Jasper warned before Alice entered the room.

Emmett sighed dramatically, "Aren't we too old to have our family picture taken in front of the Christmas tree?"

Esme frowned at her son. "No you're not! One day you'll look back on these photographs and be grateful that your sister had the forethought to make a record over the years," Esme stated with a slightly admonishing tone.

Edward quickly glanced across the table at Mike who had a concerned look on his face as he gazed fixedly at Bella's down bent head.

Mike felt a shiver of pain race through him at the mention of family photographs in front of Bella, knowing that she had lost all photos of her mother and father when Laverne had so callously destroyed them in reaction to Ron's death.

Edward reached out and gently took hold of Bella's hand under the table, willing his strength and support to her as he assessed her emotions as best he could from Mike's thoughts.

"Here we are," Alice announced with a flourish as she placed her exquisitely plated meal in front of her guests.

"This looks great Alice," Carlisle said as he looked proudly towards his youngest daughter.

Rosalie deposited the plates she held in front of Mike and Emmett before she returned to the kitchen to retrieve a plate for herself and Jasper.

Once everyone was served and she and Rosalie were seated, Alice ordered everyone to begin.

Bella cut into the tender veal and took a small bite drizzled with a light green sauce. As she placed the tiny morsel in her mouth an instant unbearable heat assaulted her tongue. With tears coming quickly to her eyes, she reached for her water glass in hopes to put out the fire that was threatening to leave permanent damage to her taste buds.

Mike was also reaching for his water glass after sampling his first bite of the meat.

Edward winced at the pain that he read in Mike's thoughts and looked quickly to his left to assess Bella's condition. Reaching for his untouched water he handed it to her as she drained the last of hers. "I think that you may have been a little heavy handed with the spices Alice," he observed as he continued to gaze worriedly at Bella.

"I think it's just right," Jacob intoned as he enjoyed his third bite of the veal with a look of enjoyment on his tanned face.

"Bella are you alright?" Alice asked with a look of dejection on her flawless face.

Unable to speak past the fire within her mouth, she nodded as reassuringly as she was able.

"Do you have any milk?" Carlisle asked Alice as he watched with concern in his physician's eyes as both Bella and Mike struggled against the too spicy dish.

"Sure," Alice answered as she stood to quickly retrieve the milk.

"Thank you," Mike chocked out as took the offered milk from Alice's out stretched hand while beads of perspiration were braking out on his forehead.

"Bella," Alice called as she held out a second glass for her friend.

Bella welcomed the coolness of the milk as it washed away some of the intense heat within her mouth.

Edward reached out and brushed a stray curl from her face as he assessed her features with a concern so clearly evident in his golden eyes. "Okay?" he asked her softly.

Bella smiled bravely as she nodded towards Edward. "I'm okay," she answered as she looked towards Alice with an apologetic expression.

"I'm so sorry Bella," she said with a look of guilt deep seated within her gaze. "Mike, are you all right?"

"Sure, sorry about that," Mike responded jovially. "Bella and I never could handle the hotter dishes like old Jacob here could," he informed the others while he gestured to a still eating Jacob.

"They were always a bunch of wimps," Jacob intoned as he finished his last piece of veal. "Bella if you're not going to finish yours, do you mind if I have it?" he asked with a boyish grin on his broad face.

Laughing lightly at her brother's expression, Bella handed her plate to him, "Help yourself."

"I don't know what I could have done wrong," Alice said more to herself than to her guests. "It called for one cup of green peppers and that is all I added."

"What did the pepper look like Alice?" Esme asked as she feared that Alice didn't choose the traditional green bell pepper when selecting a 'green pepper' to make her dish.

"They were small and round, they kind of looked like little lanterns," Alice said as she described the small green peppers she had purchased,

"Where they called habaneros by chance?" Jacob asked with his lips twitching in amusement.

"Yes, I do think that that was what they were called," she said as she looked curiously towards Jacob's delighted face.

Mike bent his head as he started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Alice asked as she looked towards Carlisle and Esme, who were also trying to hide their amusement.

"Alice, habaneros are the second hottest pepper in the world. Few people can handle the heat of one. How many did you use to make up one cup of them?" Edward questioned her drily.

"Six," Alice answered hesitantly. "I'm really sorry everyone," she apologized with a sincere regret in her worried topaz eyes.

Bella smiled at her friend as she finished a bite of the rosemary potatoes. "Don't worry Alice, the potatoes more than make up for the peppers," she said as she scooped up another fork full.

"Thanks Bella," Alice responded as she retook her seat next to Jasper. "Can I get anyone anything?"

Jacob smiled with a sheepish grin, "I'll take another helping of veal if you have some extra."

Bella and Mike shot him an amazed look to which he responded with a slightly affronted look of his own. "Come on now! It's not every day a guy like me finds someone who knows how to cook a dish with just the right heat."

Alice beamed gratefully at Jacob. "I'll be right back," she said as she went to retrieve his third helping of the veal.

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Next Morning - New York City

"I need to speak with the editor please," Rosalie instructed into her cell phone as she smiled maliciously, thinking herself so very clever in putting physical distance between herself and Edward before making the call to the Seattle Times in order to evade his mind reading.

"I'm sorry miss, but I will need to know the nature of your call before I can transfer you to Mr. Jennings," a cool professional voice responded down the line.

"Just say that I have a tip that I think will make the front page of the next addition," Rosalie responded with a look of pure malice upon her stunning face.

"I'm going to need more than that miss," a board voice impounded back.

"It involves the governor and a secret pardon that was recently granted as a favor to one of the, oh how should I say this…" Rosalie responded with a dramatic flair. "One of the state's wealthest businessmen."

"And who would that be miss?" a much more interested voice asked.

"I'll think I'll save that piece of information for Mr. Jennings if you don't mind." Rosalie replied as she looked at her perfectly manicured nails.

"Alright," the female voice responded with a hint of disappointment. "Please hold while I put you through."

Rosalie sighed in contentment knowing that by tomorrow morning little Miss perfectly innocent Bella would be the talk of the town.

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A/N Thanks for reading and reviewing. More reviews would be great though; I have over 140 story alerts but only average about 12 reviews per chapter. Even a 'good chapter' review would be appreciated. Anything you can do to boost my average would make me so very happy and as you all know a happy author is a faster writing author. Okay enough with my shameless begging…next chapter the press will besiege Bella and Edward, Edward will pin Bella down with a serious discussion regarding her future studies, and since it is almost Christmas, we might have something relating to that as well. Have a great week everyone! And Happy Holidays!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Edward's hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel as he tried to bank down his frustration with Bella's refusal to give up her other two jobs. Drawing in a deep unnecessary breath, Edward paused as he thought out his next words carefully. "Bella," he began in a soothing tone that was designed to put her at ease. "I think that you are taking on too much with three jobs and a full load of courses."

Bella stared straight ahead into the darkened night, knowing that if she looked at Edward's gorgeous face she would be lost and agree to just about any suggestions he might throw her way. "I've been taking care of myself for quite a while now Edward, so I think I know what I can and cannot handle," she responded with a new terseness that sounded foreign to Edward's ears.

"I didn't mean to suggest that you didn't," Edward quickly commented as he reached out and gently took one of her tightly clenched hands in his. "I just wish that you didn't work so hard."

Bella's heart melted at Edward's concerned tone but her resolve to maintain her independence trumped any need to adhere to his wishes. "I appreciate that Edward, but I don't think you have ever known what it is like to not know if you're going to have enough money to make the rent," Bella said wistfully as she looked down at their entwined hands.

Edward winced at the thought of Bella having to struggle. "You don't need to worry about those type of things anymore Bella. I'm here now to take care of anything you might need," he said with an unconscious stake of ownership that served to put Bella on the defensive.

Pulling her hand from his, Bella turned her gaze to look out the passenger window in an attempt to calm her emotions before responding to Edward's chauvinistic statement. "I know that you mean well Edward," she began with a stilted tone that immediate alerted Edward to his error. "But I am not that kind of woman," she stated after a few seconds of silence past with a slightly hurt twinge to her words. "I don't want you to take care of me financially; I don't want to be the type of person who only thinks about what they can get out of a relationship. I grew up around just those types of people," she said with her voice breaking at the painful memory. "People who are only interested in how much money they can get for having you in their homes, people who don't care if you're scared or lonely, people who don't care if you are happy or sad, people who only care about the check they get at the first of every month."

Edward listened silently as a chill raced through him at the hurt he heard in her tone, knowing that he had been the cause of her unnecessary pain. "I'm sorry Bella," he whispered as he pulled the car off to the shoulder of the road. Pulling her resisting form into his arms, he rested his cheek upon her soft hair while cursing himself for his thoughtlessness.

Bella remained stiff in his arms, fighting her innate need to nestle into his solid inviting chest.

"I know that you didn't have the upbringing that you deserved Bella, but I just want you to know that I will always be here if you need me," he whispered softly into her ear.

Bella closed her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened at the beautiful promise of Edward's words. "One thing I learned early in life is not to count on anyone but yourself," she said with such a sad simple clarity that Edward felt as if his world had just fallen in all around him.

Reaching out with his cold fingers, he lifted Bella's chin gently so he could look deeply into her tear-filled gaze. "I wish I could turn back the clock and ride up on the proverbial white horse and rescue you from all you had to endure," he said with a wistful smile adorning his perfect lips. "But I can't. So the best I can do is to show you that you can count on me Bella," he announced with a sincerity shining from his piercing golden eyes. "I have been waiting for you all my existence and I am not going to let anything stand in the way of our being together," he announced with a firmness that attested to his commitment to their future together.

"But for how long Edward?" Bella questioned painfully, her past experiences tainting her believe in a possibility of a happily ever after.

Edward stared down at Bella's sorrow-filled face and felt as if his cold heart would split in two at the loss of hope she held for their future reflected plainly in her beautiful brown eyes. "Bella," he whispered her name beseechingly. "I love you with everything that I am. I promise that I will always," he said as he stared intently into her eyes as if to imprint his declaration indelibly within her brain, "always, be here for you, today, next week, next month, next year, and for the next seventy years if you'll allow me."

Tears began to fall unheedingly down Bella's cheeks at Edward's solemn vow to their future. "It frightens me," Bella whispered with a tangible panic to her words. "I don't think I could survive it if you decided that you didn't want me anymore."

Edward wished he could let her see into his heart so she could know just how precious she was to him. "Don't you think that I have the same fear that you will one day decide that you don't want to be with me?" he asked with a soft smile. "Yet here I am Bella, the man that has pledged his heart into your care for as long as you will have it. Here I am with all that I am, offering to share my life with you for as long as you will have me. I love you Bella Swan," he finished simply as he slowly leaned down and tenderly kissed her trembling lips with a soft kiss that attested to the strong undeniable love he held for her.

Bella reached up and traced the curve of his bottom lip with the tip of her forefinger with a fledgling look of new found trust within her seeking brown eyes. "I love you Edward," she said with a slight edge of fear in her words.

Edward, knowing that he had to win her trust slowly accepted that at the moment all she had to offer was her simple promise of this moment in time, and for now it would be enough. "And I love you Ms. Swan, so you had better get used to having me around for the long haul," he said with a feigned sternness as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose affectionately in an attempt to lighten the mood. "We'd better get a move on if you want to be on time," Edward said as he restarted the car and pulled out onto the deserted road.

"Edward," Bella called to him softly after several miles of silence as a warm feeling began to spread through her signaling that perhaps she could let go of her independence just a little and meet him half way.

"Hmm?" he answered as he expertly swerved to miss a raccoon that had darted across their path.

"I think that I will give up the bakery," she said softly, aware that her concession was a small step towards the trust he so desperately sought.

"Thank you," he whispered gratefully as he glanced at her with a tenderness that barely touched upon the love he held deep in his heart.

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Alice quickly dialed Edward's cell with a look akin to disgust on her face.

"Good morning Alice," Edward greeted as he turned his leather chair to watch the early morning rain beat against his office windows, satisfied that his team was hard at work on the task he had assigned to help him obtain the perfect Christmas gift for Bella.

"Edward! Where's Bella?" she questioned with an unhidden anxiousness that had Edward leaping to his feet.

"How much time do I have?" he asked as he reached for his leather jacket on the way out the door, already assessing the threat to Bella as he read Alice's thoughts.

"They are already waiting for her," Alice informed him as she drew up her vision into her mind so he could easily see the impending threat.

"Who did this Alice?" Edward demanded with a barely leashed violence in his dark tone after viewing Alice's vision of Bella fighting her way through a wave of relentless reporters, each shooting degrading questions at her regarding Jacob's recent pardon.

Alice paused as she didn't want to respond to his question, her own guilt gnawing relentlessly at being the one who supplied Rosalie with the information surrounding Jacob's pardon.

"WHO ALICE!" He yelled down the line after giving up on trying to read her jumbled thoughts as he jumped down twenty-three flights of stairs in one leap, landed in a predatory crouch at the bottom.

"It was Rosalie, but to be fair it was really my fault for answering her questions in the first place," Alice answered with an unmistakable sadness gracing her words.

Hearing his sister's regret, Edward sighed heavily. "It's not your fault Alice; Rosalie used you to get to Bella. If anyone is at fault it's me, I knew from her thoughts that she didn't approve of my relationship with Bella, but for her to actually set out to deliberately hurt Bella, well that is something that I'll never be able to forgive," Edward said with a chilling starkness that caused Alice to flinch on the other end of the phone. "Do me a favor and call the Governor to warn him. Also, call Steve James and have him do what he can to put a hold on the story," Edward ordered quickly as he exited the building into the underground garage.

"Do you think that Steve will be able to kill the story?" Alice asked hopefully, knowing that Steve held a great deal of power within the Portland journalist community.

"No, but I know that he can at least buy us some time to do some damage control," Edward answered as he started his car and sped out of the garage towards the bakery where Bella was about to be ambushed unexpectedly by a pack of ravenous reporters.

"I'll give him a call," Alice agreed with a frown marring her perfect face. "Edward," she called out almost hesitantly.

"Yes," Edward answered choosing not to answer her unasked question purposely.

"Rosalie?" she forced the name past her lips with a pained look in her golden gaze.

"I don't know Alice," Edward sighed resignedly. "I know that she still harbors some misplaced feelings for me, but this time she has really crossed the line. I don't think I will ever be able to get past this."

"Esme is going to be heartbroken," Alice added with an undisguised sadness in her tone that attested to her concern for their gentle mother.

"I'll speak with Carlisle first," Edward promised as he too thought of the pain his mother would endure when he cut off all ties with Rosalie. "I've got to go now Alice," he said as he reached the intersection before the turn into the bakery where Bella worked.

"All right, "Alice responded solemnly. "I'll call Esme to meet you at the office," she added quickly before Edward cut the connection.

Quickly reading Alice's latest vision of Esme driving a distraught Bella to Mike's Seattle home where Jacob was currently staying, Edward cursed Rosalie silently for her petty vindictive spite. "We will meet her there. And Alice," Edward called to her softly.

"Yes?"

"Don't let Esme know just yet that Rosalie was the one to tip off the press," he advised.

"I won't," she agreed before she disconnected the call.

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"Isabella," a young blond man called out loudly as Bella exited the bakery's side entrance with Meg at her side. "Just how much did Edward Cullen contribute to Governor Reaves' campaign in order to get him to sign Jacob Black's pardon?"

"Ms. Swan, can you please tell me the nature of your relationship with Edward Cullen? Are you living with him at his secluded mansion? Can you confirm the rumors that Mr. Cullen's large contribution to the Governor's re-elect campaign was the reason that Governor Reaves granted Mr. Black's pardon?" A slightly plump brunette asked as she shoved a microphone in front of Bella's stunned face.

Bella cried out softly as she felt someone grab her upper arm in a sadistic hold to whip her around to face him. "How does it feel to be responsible for putting a convicted murderer back on the streets of Portland?" the aggressive male reporter asked as he glared at Bella with a look of disgust in his accusatory eyes.

Bella flinched away from the frightening man as the throng of reporters continued to shoot their barrage of rapid fire questions at her.

"Don't' say anything! Let's get out of here," Meg advised as she placed a protective arm around Bella and began to walk towards her old battered Buick.

"Isabella! Could you please just advise us as to the whereabouts of Mr. Black? I think the public has a right to know," a rude woman shouted as she stepped directly into Bella's path.

Edward sped into the small parking lot and revved his BMW's engine savagely to announce his presence, wishing more than anything he could run over the bothersome reporters. Throwing open his door he shot the reporters a menacing look of distain as he made his way towards Bella's trembling form.

"Mr. Cullen!" One reports shouted as he saw the angry billionaire approaching. "Could you please offer us a comment on your involvement with the recent pardon of Jacob Black?"

Edward glared without answering. "Bella, come with me," he said as he reached out for her hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow Meg," Bella whispered to her friend before she took Edward's cold hand.

"Isabella, are you and Mr. Cullen lovers?" the same reporter who had grabbed her arm roughly earlier asked with a wicked smile on his smug face.

Edward whirled back to face the rude man at such an inhuman speed that Bella gasped out loud. Grabbing a fist full of the reporter's jacket Edward lifted him one handed off the ground.

Bella, fearing for the reporter's safety, laid a gentle hand on Edward's tense shoulder. "Edward?" she called to him pleadingly, wanting nothing more for him to get her away from these people.

Edward forced a sense of calmness over his murderous rage as he felt Bella's pleading. "If you dare to look in Ms. Swan's direction or even mention Ms. Swan's name at any time in the future it will be the end of your life as you know it," Edward growled into the man's terrified face, his eyes shooting an ominous message that would not go unheeded. Dropping the man back to his feet, Edward felt a small sense of satisfaction as he watched the odious man stumble back a few steps before regaining his balance. Turning his attention back to Bella he held out his hand. "Let's go," he said softly as he watched her intently for clues to her emotions.

Bella placed her shaking hand in his and allowed him to assist her into the passenger's seat of his BMW. While Edward walked around the front of the car she drew in a deep breath to clam her rapidly beating heart.

Once Edward had the car back on the street he turned to look at Bella's horrified frozen features, wishing he could get his hands on Rosalie to make her pay for putting that terrified look in his Bella's eyes . "Are you all right?" he asked in a gentle tone.

Shaking herself out of her reprieve Bella turned in her seat to gaze apologetically towards Edward. "I'm so sorry," she said as tears began to fill her eyes.

Stunned at her apology, Edward reached out to tenderly wipe her tears away with a soft smile. "You continue to amaze me," he said so softly that she barely heard his words. "Why are you apologizing to me?"

Bella's mouth fell open slightly at his unexpected question. "Because all of this is because of me," she answered with a look of self-loathing. "You were just trying to help me and Jacob and now we have brought all kinds of trouble to you, not to mention the poor governor!"

Edward shook his head in awe. Here she was, minutes after a brutal attack by professional reporters and the only thing she can think of is the impact to himself and the governor. "Have I told you how much I love you today?" he asked with a smile of pure joy on his face.

Frowning in confusion, Bella shook her head in a bewildering fashion.

Laughing lightly at her look of confusion, he leaned over and stole a quick kiss. "Well I do, endlessly, hopelessly and forever."

Bella looked out the window, her brain beginning to hurt at the complete lack of concern Edward had for his public image that had surly been irrevocably shattered due to his association with her. "Edward," she began in a worried tone that caused Edward to silence her with a gentle finger to her lips.

"Don't worry," he advised as he turned into the parking garage of his building. "I've already got someone working on damage control. Neither I nor the governor will suffer for Jacob's pardon. Esme is going to drive you up to Mike's so that you can prepare Jacob. I'll call you as soon as I can," he said as he pulled his car next to Esme's jaguar where she stood waiting.

"But," Bella began as she looked at him worriedly.

Laughing lightly he once again leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly. "Don't worry," he said with an unconcerned look in his warm golden eyes. "By this time tomorrow, the governor will look like a hero for righting a miscarriage of justice that has gone on for far too long."

Nodding slightly, Bella rested her head against his strong chest for a moment, wishing with all her heart that his prediction would come true, but not able to push away the feeling that he may be a little too optimistic in his assessment of the situation. "When will I see you again?" she asked as she reached for the door handle.

Edward frowned as he quickly mapped out the next few hours in his mind. Hours that would include the task of exiling Rosalie from his life. "Probably not until tomorrow," he advised as he thought ahead to the long hours of talking with his family.

"I'll stay up at Mike's then," Bella advised as she stepped out of Edward's car.

Edward followed her and smile at his mother. "Thanks for coming Esme," he called to her gratefully.

"Any time. Hi Bella," Esme said as she studied the worried look so plainly evident on Bella's beautiful face. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," Bella said as she looked back towards Edward.

Edward, still seeing the worry within her gentle eyes, crossed to her side and pulled her tenderly into his arms. "Don't worry!" he admonished her lightly. "I'll come and pick you up in the morning."

Smiling at the look of promise in his perfect face she lifted her hand to trace the hard edge of his jaw. "It's Christmas Eve tomorrow."

Taking her hand in his he brought it to his lips to press a soft kiss to her palm. "So it is," he agreed with an encouraging smile. "Is there anything special you want for Christmas this year?"

"Just you," Bella answered truthfully with her worry still apparent in her brown eyes.

"That you already have," he answered as he placed a long lingering kiss upon her lips. "Take good care of her for me Esme," he called to his mother as he backed away, never once breaking his loving gaze from Bella's soft face.

"I will," Esme answered as she opened her door to enter the car.

"I love you," Bella called softly before she tore gaze away reluctantly from the man she now knew would hold her heart for a lifetime.

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A/N Thank you so much for the amazing reviews! I love any feedback you can provide. Okay next chapter Rosalie is in big trouble! Oh I can't wait to get started on it! And I will have a Christmas surprise in store for Bella and no it's not a ring! Edward wouldn't do that until she knows the truth about him. So everyone have an amazing Christmas. Thanks again for the reviews, over thirty on the last chapter…now we're talking!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Esme instantly felt the tension surround her as she entered the family room where all of her family had gathered except for Rosalie. "What's wrong?" she asked as her eyes sought some form of reassurance from her husband.

Carlisle rose from his chair and crossed the room to kiss Esme's cheek softly. "Come in sweetheart, we need to fill you in about," he paused as he looked over towards Emmett who was staring out the window with a look of disillusionment on his face.

"I need…,"Emmett paused as he fought to find some escape from the anger his family was feeling for his Rosalie. "I'm going for a drive." He said abruptly as he raced towards the back door, unable to bear another word spoken against the woman he loved, no matter how much she may have deserved it.

Edward watched with a slight twinge of guilt, knowing that Emmett was truly in love with Rosalie and wishing he could somehow spare his pain.

Alice crossed the room to join Jasper who sat on one of two matching soft pale blue sofas within the room. "He's going to be okay, he just can't bear to hear us talk about Rosalie any more today," she offered as she laid her head against Jasper's hard neck, trying to pull from his infallible strength.

Esme looked from each of her family's faces trying to decipher what could have happened to have brought about such an uncommonly solemn atmosphere to their home. "Carlisle?" she asked him with a slight frown developing between her perfectly arched brows.

"Rosie was the one to leak the information to the press about Edward's involvement with Jacob's pardon. She did it with the expressed intention of hurting Bella," Carlisle concluded with a resigned sigh as if saying the words out loud had solidified his extreme disappointment in his oldest daughter.

Edward almost flinched at the instant pain he felt radiating through his mother as she took in Carlisle's words. "No," she whispered as she looked around the room at her children while shaking her head from side to side as if to negate the information she was being served. "She couldn't have been that spiteful."

Carlisle put his arm around Esme and pulled her close to his side. "I'm afraid that she did honey," Carlisle said sadly.

"Where is she? I want to talk to her," Esme demanded her tone taking on a slightly angry quality.

"She's not answering her cell but Alice saw her last in New York," Jasper supplied quietly.

"Edward, what do you want to do?" Esme asked as she pulled away from Carlisle's supportive embrace to walk over to her son.

"I don't think I can forgive her this time Esme," he answered with a sense of sad betrayal that could not be challenged. "I don't expect any of you to follow my lead, only that you accept and honor my decision," he added with a slight firmness that defied contradiction.

"Edward," Esme began as he took his hand in hers and lead him over to the unoccupied sofa to pull him down next to her. "Would you please allow me to speak on Rosalie's behalf for just a few minutes?" she asked with a pleading look on her gentle face.

Knowing what Esme was going to say, Edward began to shake his head slightly only to be halted by Esme's staying hand to his cheek. "Please Edward, allow me this one favor?"

Unable to refuse his soft hearted mother anything, Edward relaxed his tense frame and opened his mind for her council. "All right," he agreed with a soft smile that was reserved for her alone.

"I guess I should begin when Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family. Carlisle and I were both concerned about you in those days, you seemed so sad sometimes, like you were forever searching for something so vital and that it was continuing to elude you so cruelly. You may not have been aware of it, but to us there always seemed to be a sadness about you. I think that you can maybe understand now that you found Bella," Esme said with a gentle smile gracing her lips. "I think what you were looking for has been the one perfect person who fills your heart. I have been lucky enough to find Carlisle and Alice has found Jasper," she smiled warmly as she shared a quick look with her husband and other two children. "We were hoping that Rosalie would be the one to fill the void in your heart," Esme said as she turned her attention back to Edward to observe him carefully. "But as time has shown, that was not to be the case. At least from your side Edward," Esme said with a sadness reflected in her golden eyes.

"Esme, I'd really rather not hear about Rosalie's feelings," Edward began halfheartedly as he didn't want to discuss Rosalie's feelings that he had tried to hide from for the past seventy years.

"Normally I would agree with you Edward but I think under the circumstances that we do need to discuss the situation," Carlisle advised from his position by the fireplace.

Drawing in an unnecessary breath, Edward nodded once to allow the uncomfortable conversation to continue.

"So you were aware that Rosalie has feelings for you?" Esme asked as she watched her son closely for his answer.

"Yes, I've been aware of them from the beginning," he sighed heavily in response. "I have tried to let her know that I didn't want that kind of a relationship with her in the kindest way possible. I also tried to allow her some privacy with her thoughts about me," he said as he looked towards the ceiling, needing to focus away from the remembered pain he felt in his sister's longing thoughts from so long ago. "I guess I have been blocking her thoughts so successfully for years that I didn't pick up as much as I should have about her hatred of Bella."

"I don't think Rosalie hates Bella," Esme said with conviction. "It's just that Bella happens to be the woman who you have chosen to give your heart to. As long as you were not with anyone I think Rosalie could handle her love for you. But when you met Bella, something inside her just snapped; all the years of pain came rushing forward for her and she reacted without really thinking of the consequences."

Edward frowned at his mother, not really wanting to let go of his anger for what his sister had done to Bella.

Seeing that Edward was still struggling with his anger, Esme placed a coaxing hand upon his shoulder. "Honey, could you at least allow me to talk with her before you make some hard and fast decision that will affect us all?"

"I don't think…" Edward began only to be cut off by Esme's pleading look. "All right," he said almost roughly. "I just want you to make it clear to her that I will not tolerate any mistreatment of Bella. You can also tell her that I will be watching her closely," he concluded with a menacing look in his darkening eyes.

"Thank you," Esme said gratefully as she pulled him into her arms for a hug. "I'll make it very clear to her."

"Now we need to talk about Emmett," Jasper advised almost unwillingly.

Carlisle heaved a heavy sigh at the thought of Emmett's coming pain. "I think that Esme should first talk with Rosalie and then we should decide how to proceed with Emmett. Hopefully Rosalie will fall in line and nothing more will need to be said," he said with a hopefulness that didn't quite reach his wise eyes.

Edward glanced quickly towards Alice, his eyes seeking an audience to confirm the dire thoughts running through her head. Catching her gaze he nodded his head once to surreptitiously agree to her silent request to hide her latest vision from their family for the time being.

Alice hid her face in Jasper's chest after receiving her silent acknowledgement from Edward, unwilling to allow her family to see the effects the newly forming vision was having on her, a new and pain filled vision of the future for her sweet loving brother Emmett, a future that didn't include her sister.

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_Next Day_

"Wait!" Alice shouted from the living room as Edward entered his home with Bella at his side.

"What are you up to Alice?" Edward questioned dryly as he quickly read her thoughts and tried to hide his cringe at her plans to 'deck the halls' so to speak.

"Bella's with you right?" she asked as she rushed to the foyer with the inherent grace of a prima ballerina.

Bella smiled at the excitement radiating off of Edward's petite sister who unknowingly had several strands of silver tinsel attached to her black cashmere sweater. "Hi Alice," she greeted as she stood next to Edward.

"Good," Alice said more to herself than to Edward or Bella. "Is it ready?" Alice called into the other room where Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle all were struggling to straighten the twenty foot Christmas tree that Alice had insisted upon.

"Not quite yet," Esme called back as she watched a large branch break off into Emmett's beefy hand causing an avalanche of falling glass ornaments that shattered instantly upon Edward's pine floor.

"Don't move!" Alice insisted as she held up her hands to Edward and Bella as she backed away towards the living room.

"What do you think she is up to?" Bella whispered to Edward who just shook his head at his sister's antics.

"It's still not straight!" they both heard Alice moan loudly. "Were not going to be ready for at least another hour!"

"It's not that easy Alice," Jasper huffed back in a muffled tone that had Edward hiding a smile as he could read that Jasper was experiencing a very rare feeling of frustration with his wife.

"Need some help?" Edward couldn't help calling into the room in an attempt to annoy his sister.

"Edward!" Alice admonished from the other room. "This is supposed to be a surprise for Bella and you're going to ruin it!"

Bella smiled at the thought of Alice going to so much trouble for her behalf. "Don't tease her Edward," she requested as she reached for his cold hand, something she was becoming more and more comfortable with over the last few days.

"All right," he agreed as he looked down into her beautiful face. "How much more time do you need?" he questioned over loudly in his continued ruse to act as a human would.

"Give us about two more hours and then you can bring Bella back," Alice advised as she made a reappearance in the foyer. "Bella, is Jacob joining us for Christmas dinner?"

"No, Mike has stolen him away with him to Detroit. He has a game on Christmas day if you can believe that craziness," Bella complained slightly as she so wanted to spend part of Christmas with her two foster brothers.

"Oh darn," Alice complained as she mentally readjusted her seating chart in Edward's dining room. "Well, maybe they can come over for our New Year's party."

"So, where do you want to go?" Edward asked as he loosely pulled Bella into his arms.

Knowing that she still had several gifts to wrap, Bella suggested her apartment, "I really need to go home for a while."

Frowning in disappointment, Edward sighed resignedly. "All right," he agreed as he leaned down to kiss her lips softly. "I guess if you promise to spend the entire day with me tomorrow I can let you go for an hour or two."

"Deal," Bella answered with a soft elated smile at the prospect of spending Christmas day with Edward.

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"Is Rosalie going to be coming tomorrow?" Jasper asked Esme softly, knowing that his mother had spoken in depth with his sister late last night.

"I don't know honey," Esme answered sadly as she placed a fragile hand blown glass ornament on the tree. "She's hurting and I think a little embarrassed by the whole ordeal. And then there's Emmett as well; she doesn't want him to know about her feelings for Edward."

"I guess I can't fault her for trying to spare him that," Jasper responded before he leaped gracefully into the air to place a hand beaded ornament upon one to the top branches on the tree.

"How has Emmett been handling the situation?" Jasper asked as he landed sinuously next to Esme.

"Carlisle spoke with him last night. He seems to be a little confused by Rosalie's dislike of Bella. I guess he just wants Rosalie to come home so he can talk with her himself. I do worry what this will do to their relationship if she chooses to reveal the truth," Esme imparted apprehensively.

"I hope that it won't come to that," Jasper responded as he retrieved two more ornaments from the large pile that Alice had purchased. "I think it would be best for all if Rosalie could just forget Edward and concentrate on her husband."

"I agree with you sweetheart," Esme said as she took one of the delicate ornaments from his outstretched hand. "But unfortunately sometimes we just can't choose who we love."

"What are you two whispering about over here?" Carlisle asked as he kissed Esme's cheek tenderly.

"I was just trying to pump Jasper for information on my Christmas gift," Esme responded as she smiled impishly towards her husband, not wanting to worry him with the true nature of the conversation.

"And has Jasper supplied you with any useful information?" he asked as he winked towards his newest son, knowing that Jasper would never willingly spoil Esme's surprise.

"No, he has been very stubborn," Esme responded with a contrived frown on her beautiful face.

"Well you only have twenty more hours to wait," Carlisle said as he smiled smugly towards her disappointed face.

Alice stood back and surveyed the last hour's work with satisfaction. "I think it's just about perfect," she announced to the four other vampires in the room.

Esme shared a loving smile with her husband as she stood within his light embrace while they stared at the exquisitely decorated Christmas tree. "You've out done yourself Alice," her mother complemented sincerely.

Alice beamed as she approached Jasper's side. "I really have haven't I?" she commented as she basked in the glow of the twinkling white lights on the tree.

Emmett's face broke out into his signature mischievous smile as he carefully plucked out a small light causing a section of lights to go out. "Uh Alice, I don't think the lights on the upper left side are working," he advised as he watched with wicked enjoyment as she raced towards the left side of the tree with a look of alarm.

"Who was in charge of the lights for this side?" she asked as she speared her family members with an accusatory glare.

Jasper quickly knew that he was soon to be in the dog house as Alice had specifically designated the lighting duties to him. "Let me see if I can find the problem," he said quickly as he averted his gaze from her piercing stare.

"It's probably just one bad bulb in that strand Jasper," Carlisle advised as he looked sharply at the tree to see if he could spot the one tiny bulb with a broken connection.

Jasper turned his attention to his brother whose emotions could only be described as jovial at the moment. "Emmett?" he asked drily as he held out his hand expectantly, correctly reading his brother's guilt as if he were in on the joke as well.

Emmett frowned slightly as he stared at his brother's outstretched hand for a moment before he deposited the missing bulb in Jasper's white palm. "All right," he sighed as he turned to smile sheepishly at his sister. "Just having a little fun," he said with a goofy smile that had Esme and Carlisle fighting to hold back their laughter.

Alice stared her six foot three inch brother down with the intensity of a lion. "Well I hope it was worth it," she said with a smug edge to her tone. "Because you have now been assigned the duty of putting all of the bicycles together all by your lonesome," she said with a satisfied tone that caused Emmett to swallow hard at the thought of putting all of the bikes together single handedly for Esme's favorite children's charity.

"Ah Alice, there has to be a least seventy-five bikes to put together this year," Emmett complained whiningly.

"There are ninety-three actually," Alice corrected as she looked mockingly down at her perfectly manicured nails. "And you had better get started, they need to be at the center by seven, and that only gives you five more hours," she said with a self-satisfied smile.

Emmett frowned as he regarded his sister, knowing that he had lost to her yet again. "All right," he mumbled as he made his way towards the door. "But don't think that this is over little sister," he threatened with a feigned sinister look that had the rest of his family dissolving in laughter.

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_Christmas Morning_

"I guess the Governor was relieved to read this morning's paper," Esme commented as she watched Edward with a slight frown as he stared unblinkingly towards his silent sister Rosalie.

"Yes, Steve really came through," Edward responded, his keen eyes still pinned on Rosalie's tense form.

"The article will certainly make it easier on Jacob as well," Jasper mused as he deftly threw three tennis balls towards the trees that surrounded Edward's home to allow the three golden retrievers to run up an appetite for Alice's Christmas dinner.

Alice came bounding out of the house with a DVD in her pale hands. "The turkey is in the oven, so we should be on schedule to eat at two," she advised as she handed Carlisle the blank DVD.

"What's this honey?" he asked with a confused grin.

"It's an instructional video on how to carve a turkey," she replied as she went to sit beside her husband on the Adirondack bench in front of Edward's outdoor fire.

"Don't even try it," Jasper advised as he shot her an annoyed look after experiencing her inquisitive feelings wash over him.

"But, just a little hint?" she asked with a beseeching look in her softened topaz eyes.

Edward turned his attention to a smug Jasper as he tried to decipher the same information that Alice has been striving for over the last week. Laughing lightly, he nodded approvingly to his brother, "Very clever Jasper," he complemented softly which earned him an irate glance from Alice.

"Thanks Edward," Jasper responded with a self-satisfied smile of his own. "I wish I had thought of this decades ago."

"URRRR!" Alice growled as she rose from her seat to stalk quickly into the house.

"What was that all about?" Emmett asked as he played lightly with Rosalie's long blond hair.

"Jasper has found the perfect way to keep Alice's gifts a secret," Edward supplied with a chuckle at his sister's expense.

"How did you do it?" Esme asked with light amusement adorning her beautiful face.

"I hired secret shoppers and instructed them not to tell me what they purchased so Alice would be completely in the dark," he supplied with a huge grin on his pale face.

Carlisle laughed lightly at the thought of the all knowing Alice having to wait to find out what she would receive just like the rest of them, save Edward of course.

"What time are you going to pick up Bella," Esme asked Edward while keeping her watchful gaze upon her oldest daughter.

Edward instantly felt Rosalie's flash of pain at the mention of Bella's name and felt that maybe it was too soon to bring them together. "I'm supposed to pick her up in an hour," he said absently as his mind continued to probe into Rosalie's tortured thoughts carefully for any sign of threats towards Bella.

"We'd better get home and change then, I hate to have to wish Bella a Merry Christmas in my hunting gear," Esme said as rose from Carlisle's lap gracefully.

"Don't forget to wear the sweater I got for you," Alice yelled from the kitchen window.

"What's she talking about?" Emmett asked as he sprang lithely to his feet to stand at Rosalie's side.

"I think she has purchased us all matching Christmas sweaters," Edward groaned out loud as he saw a vision from Alice's mind of the hideous green sweater embellished with a large reindeer face complete with a red blinking nose that she intended for his wear.

"Oh no," Emmett said firmly as he could just imagine what kind of sweater his sister had picked out for him.

"Oh yes you will Emmett!" Alice called back out the window. "This is what humans do on Christmas and we are going to all make this a very special HUMAN Christmas for Bella, got it?" she shot at her brother with a forcefulness that belied her petite frame.

Emmett grumbled under his breath as he agreed, knowing that he would comply willingly as long as it was for Bella's benefit.

Esme smiled somewhat fearfully as she wondered what else her youngest daughter had planned for Bella's human Christmas. "Ready?" she asked Carlisle as she held out her hand.

Carlisle read her apprehensive look and smiled at her knowingly as he too wondered what Alice had in store for the human Christmas. I'm not sure if I'm ready or not but I guess we should go and change none the less. Besides, I have to learn how to carve a turkey," he added with a wiry grin.

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A/N Thanks for the amazing reviews! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know how you like or dislike (all reviews are welcome) my little story. Okay, so Rosalie didn't get it too bad in this chapter, but who says she done with her plans to breakup Edward and Bella? Not me that's for sure, she's got so much more up her sleeves. Next chapter is Christmas ala Alice style (I tried to get this chapter written in time for Christmas but life got in the way so I hope everyone is still in a little bit of the Christmas spirit). We will also have Edward's very special gift for Bella, I wonder if any of you can guess what it is? I have given a hint in an earlier chapter…shoot me your guess in a review (yes, it is another shameless attempt at bringing my review per chapter average number up) and I'll give you a cameo in an upcoming chapter if you guess correctly, that will be kind of fun, just think you could be waitress or someone who works at Cullen Telecommunication, or maybe even a fellow vampire? I have the next chapter about half way finished so I will need your guesses by Tuesday at the latest. A special thank you to my amazing Beta SNU who has just been working so hard over the Holidays and still found some time to edit this chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Edward ushered Bella through the double doors with a wide grin on his face while balancing several brightly wrapped packages.

"Careful," Bella cautioned lightly as she took the package tagged for Carlisle and Esme from the top of the pile. "This one is breakable."

"Bella!" Alice called excitedly as she danced forward to embrace Bella in her arms.

"Merry Christmas Alice," Bella greeted the pixie brunette as best she could with the present within her arms. Her eyes almost bugged out of her head at the sight of Alice's over the top Christmas sweater, for across the entire front of the pink sweater was a huge Santa face, with some bizarre fiber optic lighting effects flickering into a vast array of colors.

"Hurry up! I want to open my presents!" Alice instructed as she pulled Bella by one hand into the living room.

Bella followed and froze in place as she took in the picture the Cullen's made with their matching Christmas sweaters, for her brain didn't seem to be able to process seeing a group of such astonishingly beautiful people dressed so absurdly. Esme, who Bella had come to love in their short time together was decked out in a navy blue sweater that had a large poinsettia flower emblazoned across her chest, what made it worse was that the flower must have been battery powered as the flower flickered with alternating white and red lights.

Carlisle, who Bella had only seen dressed in the most classic of designer clothes was wearing an ivory sweater with a huge Christmas tree on it, and as with Esme's it too was flickering in a wide array of multicolor. Emmett who stood silently next to the always perfect Rosalie, was wearing a red sweater adorned with a large snowman, and unlike the previous sweater's that Bella had observed, Emmett's seem to have a running lights mechanism so as to make his snowman appear to be dancing. Bella's eyes drifted over to Rosalie who must have gotten to choose the least hideous of the sweaters as hers was only embroidered with a small group of holly leaves, with the red berries flickering a little more discreetly than the rest of the Cullen's sweaters.

"Here let me take that from you," Jasper offered as he came in from the kitchen.

"Thank you," Bella chocked out as she let Jasper take the large package from her hands to place under the tree while his pale face was flickering in the glow of the red and white lights twinkling on his candy cane embellished black sweater.

"I can see that the Cullen family really gets into the Christmas spirit," Bella observed as she turned to look for Edward, wondering what he wore under his leather jacket since she had not seen him without it as of yet.

"Don't worry Bella," Alice said as she held out a beautifully wrapped package that suggested that it held an item of clothing. "I've got you covered," she said with an impish twinkle in her eyes.

Bella smiled slowly as she looked down at the present as if it held away from her as if it were a snake. "You really shouldn't have Alice," Bella said softly.

"Oh yes I should, you're as good as a part of the family already so you have to have your very own sweater," Alice answered with an excited smile. "Open it!"

Catching on to Alice's enthusiasm, Bella embraced the craziness and took a seat so she could open her sweater.

"You don't have to wear it Bella," Edward advised from his position beside the tree.

Bella glanced up at her always perfect and gorgeous Edward and couldn't stop the abrupt laugh that escaped her lips at the sight he made in his ridiculous, red nose blinking reindeer sweater. "Sorry," she apologized to him softly as she continued to fight the laughter that threatened to escape a second time.

"Open!" Alice whined as she took the empty seat on the sofa next to Bella.

Bella un-wrapped the present and paused briefly to draw in a preparatory breath before she opened the box to reveal what she assumed to be a lighted sweater of her very own. As she pulled back the tissue a pale blue sweater was revealed with a soft faced angle upon its front.

"Here, let me turn it on for you," Alice said anxiously. Bella watched with stunned eyes as Alice lifted the sweater from the box and deftly pushed a tiny button on the inside tag. "There, now go and change," she instructed as she handed the sweater back to Bella.

"All right," Bella said somewhat shell shocked as she rose to do Alice's bidding.

Edward followed and stood outside the bedroom that Bella had used on her previous visit while she changed into Alice's gift.

"How do I look?" Bella asked as she struck a seductive pose for his benefit against the door frame.

Edward couldn't help but laugh at her as her sweater flashed its blue and white lights obnoxiously. "I'd say that you are one hell of a sexy angel!" he growled hungrily as he reached for her.

Bella laughed at Edward's response as he kissed his way down her neck. "Um, that feels nice," she whispered huskily into his ear as she slid her hands slowly up his hard chest to twine them around his neck.

Edward felt a heated flush of instant desire shoot through him that far outweighed the burning thirst in his throat that he normally felt when holding Bella so close. Pulling back slightly he stared down into her beautiful face with an almost pained look. "As much as I hate it to break this up my family is waiting for us," he said with a disappointed tone to his velvety voice.

Bella leaned up and stole a quick kiss before she took his cold hand and walked back towards the living room where the rest of the Cullen clan awaited.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed as the couple came into view. "I knew that color would be perfect for you."

Bella smiled and thanked Alice graciously for both the gift and the complement.

"Okay," Alice said as she walked over to the large tree. "Emmett, Jasper if you could please help me pass these out," she instructed as she reached greedily down to grab a gift that was marked for her.

Bella watched with a soft smile as Jasper and Emmett tossed the Christmas gifts to each other in an almost adolescent manner.

Edward rose to rescue the one gift that Bella had noted as breakable before his misbehaving brothers could reach it. "This one if from Bella," he said as he handed the beautifully wrapped gift to his mother.

"Oh Bella, you didn't need to get us anything," Esme imparted with a gentle smile as she began to un-wrap the gift.

"It's nothing much," Bella responded softly.

"Carlisle look!" Esme exclaimed with a genuine look of enjoyment as she held up the delicate crystal snow globe depicting a winter village scene.

Carlisle leaned over his wife's shoulder and smiled softly at the village that reminded him of London where he studied medicine in the 1820's. "It's beautiful Bella, thank you."

Bella watched as Alice began to un-wrap a very small package with a look of long awaited satisfaction that seemed a little odd. "Jasper!" she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet to race to his side. "It's just what I wanted!"

Jasper smiled smugly as he accepted Alice's grateful kiss on his cheek. "See how nice it is to be surprised," he whispered into her ear so softly that only she could hear.

"Humph!" Alice answered as she rushed over to show off her new flawless emerald earrings to Bella.

"Oh Alice, they're so beautiful," Bella smiled as she looked down at the exquisite earrings.

"NO WAY!" Emmett's voice boomed out as he jumped to his feet in excitement to rush over to grab Bella into a huge bear hug.

"Emmett," Edward growled as he watched Bella wince slightly at the tight embrace that Emmett was unknowingly inflicting upon her.

Releasing her abruptly, Bella almost lost her balance before Emmett reach out to steady her. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "But I just can't help myself," he grinned as he held up the season tickets for the Seahawks' 2009 season.

"I'm glad you like them," Bella said as she looked up at Edward's big bear of a brother. "If Mike's team wins today he promised to get me tickets for something called the wildcard game," Bella added with a smile.

"The wildcard game?" Emmett asked with a look of complete awe on his handsome face.

Bella nodded as she bit her bottom lip to stop the laugh that threatened at the little boy look on Emmett's face.

"Rosalie is opening her gift Emmett," Edward said dryly as he pushed his stunned brother towards the direction of his wife. "Okay?" he asked Bella gently as he rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

Bella leaned into his chest as she smiled contently. "Sure," she said as she picked up an oblong gift box and handed it to Edward. "Merry Christmas," she wished softly.

Edward smiled gently as he took her offered gift. "I have something for you as well," he said with a velvet tone that served to accelerate her heartbeat.

After Edward had retrieved a flat box from under the tree he sat next to Bella on the sofa and handed her his gift with a gentle look. "Merry Christmas my Bella," he whispered softly as he reached out and caressed her cheek tenderly.

"You first," Bella instructed as she watched his perfect face with a soft smile upon her lips.

"Alright," Edward replied as he began to un-wrap her gift to reveal a pair of soft black leather gloves. "Thank you," he said as he tried them on for a perfect fit.

"You're hands always seem cold so I thought they might help keep you warm," Bella said as she watched a strange look cross Edward's face that he quickly hid in a flash, making her wonder silently if she had just imagined the odd look.

"They're perfect," Edward announced as he leaned over and kissed her lips softly while his alarmed mind raced ahead to the necessary upcoming conversation that he knew he had put off for far too long. A conversation that would either bring him an unequaled happiness that he knew he didn't deserve or the unbearable despair of facing the endless future of his existence in a state of loss without Bella at his side. "Now please open you gift," he suggested taking the gloves off as he pushed his fear aside so as to focus on the woman he loved.

Smiling excitedly Bella began to un-wrap the beautifully wrapped package to discover a thick black box. Lifting the lid, she placed it gently on the floor at her side before she pushed aside the delicate tissue paper to reveal Edward's gift.

Edward watched Bella closely as she starred down at the thick navy leather bound family album that had the Swan name etched in gold lettering across its front. The album that he himself had spent the last few days painstakingly assembling out of pictures he and his staff had collected from friends and acquaintances of Bella's parent's past.

Bella's hand rose to cover her lips to keep in the gasp that threatened to escape as tears began to well within her soft brown eyes. Lifting her other hand she carefully opened the thick album to reveal a picture of her parents on their wedding day, a picture she had seen all through her childhood that she thought had been lost forever at the vindictive hands of Laverne Gardner. "How…" she began only to have her voice break as a wave of intense emotion overcame her.

Knowing exactly what she was about to ask Edward gently reached out and wiped a tear from her left cheek before he answered her silent question. "I traced your parent's history and found some of their old friends who were only too happy to supply me with copies of pictures that they had of you and your parents within their possession."

Bella continued to slowly turn the pages of the album as they revealed a multitude of pictures, some that she had never seen. Pictures of herself as from tiny baby to eight year old awkwardness, pictures of her parents from their respective childhoods to adulthood, pictures of them all together as a family, pictures showing a soft gentle life filled with lots of love and laughter. As she reached the final page of the album she saw a picture of her and her parents as they posed before a Christmas tree, their last Christmas as a family. Reaching out she traced the edge of the picture tentatively as if her touch would somehow make it disappear.

Edward waited silently as Bella remained unmoving for what appeared to be an eternity even to himself who measured time in a much broader way than the beautiful fragile human beside him.

Esme watched as she held onto Carlisle's hand tightly, wondering if Edward's gift was a little too much to be given to Bella at such a public family gathering. _'Is she alright honey?'_ she sent her silent thought to Edward.

Edward wondered much the same thing as he read his mother's worried thoughts. "Bella," he called to her softly.

Bella quickly looked up at the sound of her name into Edward's too perfect face that currently held such an anxious expression as he seemed to be fearful that he had erred in his choice of a gift. Carefully closing the album, Bella replaced the tissue and box lid and then she placed it gently upon the side table to her right before she turned her full attention back to the beautiful man who had just given her a part of her long lost past. With fresh tears in her eyes she reached out with a trembling hand and caressed his perfect lips. "Thank you," she said the two simple words with such undeniable heartfelt emotion that if it were possible for vampires to shed tears there would not be a dry eye in the house.

Edward smiled gently as he pulled her tenderly into his arms reveling at the feel of her as she molded perfectly to his side. "I love you Isabella Swan," he said softly into her hair.

Rosalie stood silently frozen in pain as she watched Edward hold Bella so tenderly that her unbeating dead heart felt as if it fractured into an irreparable crack beneath her chest. Knowing that she needed to put some distance between herself and her gifted family if she were to preserve any dignity for herself, she quickly orchestrated an escape. "I need to hunt, I can't be here with her in the house," she whispered urgently into Emmett's ear as she feigned an intense thirst for Bella's blood that appeared to be so undeniable that she was about to spring on Bella at any second. Glancing sadly one last time at Edward, Rosalie breathed in deeply past the painful lurch in her heart before she turned and raced away with her unhidden vampire's speed to the back door of Edward's mansion. Once she was outside she allowed her pain free reign as she raced through the dense forest not bothering to hide her pain drenched thoughts as they played out in her mind, thoughts of Edward and what their life could have been if he had returned her love, thoughts of her gentle sweet Emmett and how she wished she could love him as he so devotedly loved her, and finally thoughts of Bella, the human who so undeservedly taken Edward from her forever. Bella, who now held onto Edward's heart, a heart that should have been rightfully hers as it was intended in the beginning.

Back at the house Esme frowned as she shared a concerned glance with Carlisle wondering if Rosalie would ever be able to accept Bella within their family. Standing, she walked into the kitchen where Alice was busy basting the turkey. "Do you know where Rosalie went?" she asked her daughter so softly that Bella, who was preparing a pie crust per Alice's instructions, couldn't hear.

Alice frowned as she answered her mother, "She's just running. I don't think she is really heading anywhere in particular, at least she doesn't seem to have decided to run anywhere in particular," Alice added to clarify what her gift was telling her.

"Will you let me know if you see anything?" Esme asked softly as she looked out the window towards the darkening forest.

"Of course, you should ask Edward though, he may have a better read on her," Alice suggested as she looked back over her shoulder at the concern still reflected in her mother's gentle eyes.

"Carlisle is speaking with him now," Esme responded as she stood back to watch Alice pull a large dish of sweet potatoes out of the oven. "That looks delicious honey," she said in a louder voice so that Bella could hear.

"It smells amazing Alice, sweet potatoes have always been one of my favorites," Bella added her complement as she executed the last pinch on the pie crust's edge. Beaming from Bella's complement on her dish Alice pushed thoughts of Rosalie aside and enjoyed her moment.

"What can I do to help out?" Esme asked as she looked at the multitude of pots and pans simmering upon the stove top.

"Well Bella is making the dessert so I guess there really isn't much else to do," Alice said as she smiled with a satisfied look on her face.

"I'm through here, what else can I do to help?" Bella asked as she wiped her flour dusted hands on the Christmas themed apron that Alice had designated for her use.

"You can start mixing the filling ingredients for the pie, the recipe is over there on the counter," Alice said as she motioned towards the left of Bella.

"Oh, you mean this recipe for Sheppard's pie?" Bella asked with a skeptical look on her face as she looked at the recipe card that was laid out on the counter for surely Alice didn't intend to serve such a savory pie as the dessert course.

"Yes that's it," Alice said with a toothy grin that Bella found so endearing. "Don't you like Sheppard's pie?"

Bella quickly hid her aversion as she didn't want Alice's feelings to be hurt, "It's one of my favorites," she responded with a bright smile while secretly cringing at the thought of eating a slice of the pie after a large meal.

"I'll go check on the guys," Esme said as she shot Bella a sympathetic glance.

"Honey," Carlisle called Esme to his side once she entered back into the living room. "Emmett is watching the game with Jasper," he advised as he could see that she was cautiously looking about the room.

"How is she Edward?" Esme asked as she leaned against her husband's side.

"She is in pain," Edward said with a resigned sigh. "I wish I could do something that would help her but I…" his voice trailed off as he gave up his pointless quest for anything to help the situation.

"It's not your fault Edward," Carlisle soothed gently. "She is just going to need some time so she can accept things as they're meant to be."

"And in the mean time?" Esme asked with a saddened look on her beautiful face.

"In the mean time both Alice and I will be watching," Edward responded with both an edge of concern and determination flavoring his words.

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Rosalie continued to run until she reached the edge of the Quileute Indian reservation, the very reservation she knew was off limits, for the Quileutes and the Cullen Coven had long held a tentative understanding that as long as neither encroached upon each other's lands they would coexist in a guarded peace.

A slow calculating smile began to spread across Rosalie's perfect lips as she sank down into a low crouch and leaped sixty feet over the imaginary line into the forbidden reservation, for here was the one place where she could let her hatred for Bella spill forth without having to face any consequences from her family; the one place where neither Alice nor Edward's gifts could invade, the one place where she could allow her fantasies of Bella's ultimate elimination run freely through her mind without fear of discovery. If only she could stay here forever, if only she could lure an unsuspecting Bella here, then perhaps things could return as they should be before Bella came and ruined everything.

Rosalie leaned heavily against a huge cedar tree as dark thoughts began to swirl through her head, thoughts that she knew without doubt that she would soon act upon. Closing her eyes she gave herself over to the sinister thoughts as if they were her only friend, as if they were the only answer to put an end to the unbearable pain that was crushing in upon her like an unforgiving merciless vise.

Rosalie felt a strange feeling of calmness wash over her as she finalized her plans, plants that ended with a human's death, a human's death at her very own hands.

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Edward looked up at Alice with an alarmed look in his golden eyes.

'_She just disappeared," _Alice's silent thought translated down the length of the table.

Edward nodded his head slightly as he too had lost his trace of Rosalie, as if someone had flipped a switch.

'_What do you think it means?' _Alice asked with a worried frown on her pixie face.

Shrugging his shoulders slightly Edward communicated his puzzlement silently to his sister, but he couldn't help suppress a feeling of unease as he strained his mind to once again seek out Rosalie's now hidden thoughts.

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A/N Thanks for everyone's guesses but hey no one got it. I did like the idea of the sky diving lessons though! Next chapter…Rosalie is still AWOL and Edward will finally have the talk with Bella. DUN DUN DUN! Please leave me a review. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**A/N So sorry for the long delay. This chapter has not been proof read by my Beta so please forgive the errors but I did promise a reader that I would post this chapter before the weekend ended, so here it is. Chapter seventeen is ready to be proof read if anyone wants to volunteer to act as a temporary Beta while my regular Beta is away. Please just shoot me a private message if you're interested so I can email you the chapter…warning I'm terrible and you will have to contend with multiple grammatical errors, as you will discover with the below un-corrected chapter. **

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Five days after Christmas_

"Have you heard from Rosalie?" Alice asked Emmett with a feigned casualness that she hoped went undetected.

"She had to go to Paris for some fashion emergency," Emmett said with a long suffering sigh as he flicked through the vast array of channels on the large flat screen. "She doesn't know how long she's going to be away but said not to worry if I didn't hear from her for a few weeks."

Alice sought Edward's gaze across the room as she digested Emmett's words. '_I still can't get a read on her! What do you think this means?'_ she asked her mind reading brother.

Edward lifted his shoulders in a slight, almost indecipherable shrug in order to answer Alice's unspoken question, wishing that his own gift didn't' have its own quirk with distance limitations. "I guess Rose won't make it back in time for the Seahawk's playoff game," Edward stated as he tried to turn his brother's lonely thoughts to a happier topic without being to blatant.

"No, I guess I need to find someone else to go with," Emmett said as clicked off the television as he rose from the sofa to walk over to where Edward stood. "You want to go Edward?"

"No, you should ask Jasper," Edward advised helpfully, knowing that Jasper was more of a football fan than himself.

"Alice?" Emmett asked with an amused expression on his broad, pale face.

"I already told him to mark the date," Alice advised with an impish grin on her pretty mouth.

"Great!" Emmett said with more enthusiasm than he had shown in the last three day since Rosalie had disappeared. "I think I'll go on over to see if he wants to go for a jump," Emmett announced as he leaned down to kiss his sister's cheek. "Want to come?" he asked both Edward and Alice.

"No, I have to meet up with Bella at the office," Edward said as he glanced at his watch to see that it was going on six in the evening.

"Alice?" Emmett asked with an expectant expression.

"No, I think I'll pass, I promised Esme that I would help her pick out a dress for her and Carlisle's anniversary date," she said almost absently as she fixed her worried gaze upon Edward strained face.

"Okay, I'm off then," Emmett said as he walked toward the back entrance of Carlisle and Esme's home towards the garage.

"You're telling her tonight," Alice said in the form of a statement rather than a question.

"Yes," Edward sighed out as he met her anxious expression with one of his own. "Any hint of how it will turn out?" he questioned with a wiry smile that did little to hide his extreme tension.

Shaking her head Alice frowned. "I see two outcomes, but you know that I can't see anything that will show itself as the truth until she makes a decision," she advised her brother softly.

"That's what I thought," Edward sighed out dejectedly. "What do you think she will do?" he asked with a strained intenseness about his eyes that attested to his nervousness.

"It's a lot to take in Edward," Alice cautioned slowly as she walked over to her brother who stood looking out at the forest. "She might not be able to accept it…what we are. You need to be prepared to…" her voice tailed off as if she didn't know if she should finish her sentence.

"…let her go," he finished for her as he read her unspoken words. Edward closed his eyes against the pain that Alice's words had wrought in his already tortured mind. "I don't know if I can let her go," he responded in such a pain ridden tone that Alice actually gasped out loud.

"Edward," she called to him with concern in her lilting voice. "I'm sorry," she said simply as she didn't know what else she could say to offer him any comfort.

Edward smiled gently as he reached out and pulled his favorite sister into his stone hard embrace, something that he didn't normally do since neither he nor Alice were prone to physical displays of affection. "Don't be sorry Alice, for whatever Bella decides; I don't regret one second of the last five weeks."

Alice remained silent as she leaned into her brother's strong shoulder, knowing that if Bella decided that she couldn't live with the truth of Edward's existence that… No! She pushed the unwelcome thought away as she couldn't quite bring herself to think what it would do to Edward if Bella refused to accept the truth.

Edward sighed deeply as he read his sister's concerned thoughts.

"Sorry," Alice muttered aloud as she leaned back to smile sheepishly up at his beautiful face.

Edward merely smiled as he dropped his arms to his sides. "I need to go," he said with a resigned tone that served to validate his growing fear of his upcoming conversation with Bella.

Nodding her head in agreement, Alice watched with a heavy heart as he turned and walked slowly, so very uncommonly slowly from his normal self assured gait out of the house while wondering if there was to be a much deserved happy ending for her sweet, kind hearted brother, wondering if he would indeed survive if he were to be denied the one thing that he wanted most in this world…Bella.

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"Hi Charlie," Bella greeted the security guard who she had become friends with over the last month. "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"Sure did, and you Bella? Did you enjoy your holiday?" Charlie asked as he rose from his seated position behind the front desk to accompany her to the bank of elevators.

Bella smiled joyously as she remembered the magical day she had spent with Edward and his family, "I had a very nice Christmas," she replied with a bright smile that warmed Charlie's heart.

"Good, you and Mr. Cullen have any special New Year's Eve plans?" he asked as he reached out to push the button to summons the elevator.

"No, we haven't really planned anything," Bella replied as she walked by Charlie's side.

The elevator bell announced its arrival just a few seconds before the doors slid smoothly open. "Here you go kid," Charlie said as he placed his beefy arm over the door's sensor so it wouldn't begin to close as Bella entered. "Is it going to be a late night?"

"I'm not sure," Bella answered as a slight frown drew her brows together across her forehead as she recalled the strangeness of Edward's behavior over the last two days, as if something important was bothering him.

"Well I get off at ten so if I don't see you have a Happy New Year," Charlie advised with a wide smile.

"Thanks, and Happy New Year to you and Ruth too," Bella returned the good wishes to Charlie and his wife as the doors began to slide shut. Once the elevator started its ascent Bella's smile faded into a concerned frown as she began to wonder why Edward hadn't mentioned any plans for New Years Eve as he normally tried to schedule their time together at least a week in advance and it seemed odd that he hadn't even broached the subject once. The elevator's bell announced its arrival to the twenty-second floor just as seconds before the doors slid smoothly open. Bella felt a strange sense of foreboding wash over her as she exited the elevator to walk towards Edward's executive office suite.

Placing her purse in her desk drawer she walked slowly towards Edward's opened door, again wondering about his strange behavior as he normally met her at the elevator and kissed her breathless, something that she had become very accustom too over the last month. "Edward?" she called out with an uncertain tone that she wished she could better disguise.

Edward tried to relax his tense frame as he unclenched his tightly coiled fists. Rising to his feet he drew in a deep breath and slowly walked towards the door. "In here Bella," he called out, his normally velvet voice sounding strangely rough, even to his own ears.

Bella walked into his office with a wide smile gracing her beautiful face, not noticing the tension he was hiding. "Hi," she greeted almost shyly as she walked to his side to slip her arms around his neck.

Edward pulled her gently into his arms and leaned down to brush his cool lips across hers in a brief kiss that seemed odd in place of his normally more passionate offerings. "Hi yourself," he answered almost stiltedly as he stared down at her with his golden eyes intent on her features.

Bella frowned slightly at the tense look on Edward's perfect face. "Hey," she whispered lightly as she reached out to caress his ice cold cheek, something she no longer seemed to notice as she had become accustom too Edward's odd body temperature over the last few weeks. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern alighting within her chocolate brown eyes.

Edward pursed his lips tightly as he released her from his embrace to walk back to take his chair behind his desk. "Will you please close the door? I need to…talk to you," he advised in a reserved tone that immediately put Bella on alert.

After shutting the door softly, Bella crossed Edward's plush beige carpet to seat herself on one of the rich leather chairs in front of his large mahogany desk.

Edward watched Bella with a barely hidden anxiety in his golden eyes, knowing that the next thirty minutes would determine the course of the rest of his existence. After several seconds of telling silence he carefully placed his hands, palm side down upon the smooth wood surface of his desk. "I have wanted to talk to you about this for some time now," he began without looking directly at her, not wanting to be distracted by her beauty. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

Bella sat unmoving as a real sense of fear began to wash through her as she knew in her heart that Edward was about to discuss something that would change the course of their relationship forever, something that he seemed almost afraid to tell her. "Edward?" she called to him softly wanting to look into his eyes to gage for herself his strange mood.

Holding up one of his hands, Edward silently halted her interruption. "Please let me get through this as best I can," he pleaded softly as he smiled tenderly at her concerned gaze. "Before I tell you…I just want you to know that I love you and I don't regret a minute of our time together should…" he broke off mid sentence unable to voice the words that predicted her walking away from him forever.

Bella felt her heart sink into her stomach at the dire direction that Edward's words were leading. "You're scarring me Edward," she whispered as she stared at his too gorgeous face with a real fear of loss entering her eyes.

Wincing at the fear he saw plainly displayed on her face Edward stiffened as he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and promise that nothing would every come between them. But knowing that he had no choice now but to tell her the truth he sighed softly and then shored up his resolve to continue with his confession. "My family and I are not all we appear to be. If fact were really not at all what we pretend to be," he said with a deep defeated sigh.

"I don't understand," Bella responded softly as she stared intently into his anxious golden eyes.

Edward looked away from her confused expression, cursing himself as a coward when he couldn't find the courage within himself to watch her reaction to his next sentence. "We're….," his voice broke as he struggled to get out the word. "Vampires."

Bella sat motionless as she stared unblinkingly at Edward's unmoving tense form not sure if she had heard him correctly. After a brief silence she called to him to bring his distraught gaze to her. "Edward?"

Drawing in a deep, unneeded breath, Edward looked into Bella's beautiful face. "I'm sorry Bella, I wish…" his voice tailed off as he sprang to his feet and for once didn't bother with the pretense to match his speed to that of a human as he crossed to the window to gaze at the setting sun.

Utterly stunned, Bella watched as her view of Edward blurred briefly before her very eyes as he all but disappeared from behind his desk only to appear almost magically at the floor to ceiling windows overlooking downtown Portland. "Vampire? As in Bram Stoker's Dracula?" she asked with a nervous laugh feeling so utterly lost in this most bizarre of conversations.

Edward murmured a soft "Yes," in the same defeated tone that had begun his confession causing Bella to gasp aloud as he confirmed that she did indeed hear him correctly.

"Vampire," Bella repeated the word softly for her own benefit in an attempt to comprehend the magnitude of Edward's admission.

"Yes, Vampire. As in the undead…bloodsucking leaches who feed upon the all too unsuspecting human race," he said with a self loathing tone that he didn't bother to hide.

Bella slumped heavily back into the chair as if her small frame suddenly couldn't support her. Her mind was racing at the knowledge that Edward was a vampire. That her Edward preyed upon humans for their blood; that he killed innocent humans in order to exist. Swallowing hard past the lump in her throat Bella closed her eyes to try to block out what could only be a horrible nightmare.

As the silence drug on Edward knew that Bella must be struggling with the unbelievable truth. Not wanting to frighten her he remained statue still as he waited for her response.

After several minutes Bella drew in a deep calming breath in order to gather her courage to face what was to come. "I have some questions," she said with a shaking voice that had Edward cringing at the obvious fear he detected.

"Yes, I supposed that you would," he commented gently as he turned to face her with an unmistakable sadness so very evident in his tortured gaze.

"First…when you say your family, do you mean everyone? Alice, Esme…" Bella asked as she clenched her hands tightly in her lap.

"Yes, all of us," Edward responded in a deadened tone so very uncharacteristic to his normal melodic speech.

"How did you become…" Bella's voice trailed off as she couldn't quite bring herself to say to word when she was addressing the man she had come to love.

"I was dying of the Spanish influenza in 1918 when Carlisle saved me so to speak," Edward answered quietly as he watched her intently for any sign of what she was thinking.

"1918?" Bella choked out in a barely there breath. "So you're over a hundred years old then," she continued with a slight shake of her head at the unfathomable truth that Edward and his family were vampires.

Edward smiled somewhat sadly as he slowly returned to his chair. "I'm 118 to be exact."

"So you've been a…vampire for the last ninety years then," Bella commented softly without looking at him for one of the first times since their strange conversation began.

Knowing that Bella was having a difficult time, Edward decided to spare her any the tedium of questioning him and began to fill her in on his and his family's history. "Yes, I've been like this for the last ninety years. I won't tell you that it has been an easy life…if you could call it a life. But with Carlisle and Esme as our Father and Mother so to speak it hasn't been all that terrible. They have created a real family for us, so I haven't been all together unhappy with this life. In fact I guess you could say that I was content for the most part until I met you," he added with a gentleness entering his golden gaze as he stared adoringly at Bella. "I didn't realize that there could be more, that there could be love, the kind of love I feel for you."

Bella felt the familiar warmth spread through her as she stared into his hypnotic golden eyes. "So how…" she broke off as she turned her gaze towards the floor unable to look at his beautiful face as she wrestled with the effect his stare was having on her. "Do you…"

Edward smiled at her gently as he began to fill her in on the history of his vampire life. "As I said I have been like this for over ninety years. Carlisle has been a vampire for over four hundred years; I can't imagine what it must have been like for him when he was changed. The vampire the changed him was killed immediately after, so Carlisle had to learn everything about this life on his own. At least I had Carlisle to ease me into this way of life. I think he must have been very lonely all of those years. He told me that he had never considered changing another human into a vampire until my mother, who was also dying had begged him to save me. As if she knew that he had the power to stave off my death," Edward allowed with a light laugh. "So after Carlisle changed me, he taught me his way of life. We're different from other vampires. We don't hunt humans as our prey; instead we exist off of animals."

"Animals? But don't vampires need human blood?" Bella asked with a confused frown marring her brow as she thought of all of the horror movies she had watched growing up.

"It's possible to sustain our existence with the blood of animals," Edward answered softly. "It isn't quite the same as human blood, which makes us stronger, but we find the killing of animals infinitely more agreeable with our conscious than if we preyed upon humans."

"So you don't..." Bella paused as she tried to get the word out. "…kill humans for their blood?"

Edward watched Bella closely as he answered her question. "I can't say that I have never killed a human before, but for the past eighty years…I have followed Carlisle's example and only sought out animals."

Closing her eyes against the pain that Edward's confession wrought, Bella griped the arms of the chair tightly; her heart rebelled against the dark thoughts that were racing through her mind. Her sweet, gentle Edward was a murderer; the man she loved had slaughtered countless innocent people for their blood. "So you have taken a human life?" she asked so softly that Edward knew that if he didn't have enhanced hearing he would not have been able to make out her words.

"Yes," he answered with a defeated sigh. "I wish I could say that like Carlisle and Esme that I haven't killed a human, but I can't. I have killed before. The only thing I can promise you is that I am now committed to this life and vow that I will never harm a human. Bella," he called to her so that he could look into her pain filled eyes.

Bella looked up into Edward's handsome face and saw that he seemed to be fighting to save their relationship.

"I swear to you, that I will never harm you. I love you more than anything. If you could please just try to accept…" he broke off as he watched the flash of what could only be described as fear intertwined with pain enter her already saddened eyes.

"I need to…" Bella's voice broke with the tears she was fighting as she quickly rose from her chair to make her way towards the door. "I just need some time," she finished in a hoarse voice that betrayed her sorrow as she opened the door and quickly made her way towards the elevator, unaware of the all encompassing pain that was now taking an unyielding sadistic hold of the man she left behind. Unaware that her quick departure was destroying the man she loved; the man who was now facing a future without any hope of happiness; the man who was now wondering how he would be able to exist in a world that didn't include his Bella.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plot lines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**A/N ****Everyone send out a supper big thank you to Hannah who stepped in and got this chapter corrected in record time. **

**Beta: Hannah Writes R**

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Jasper watched his wife closely as she sank down heavily upon the sofa with a look of such sorrow upon her pretty face that he instantly went to her side to place his arm protectively around her slumping shoulders. "Alice?" he asked with concern furrowing his pale brow.

"Oh…no. Bella…she," Alice's voice broke as she witnessed Bella's quick departure from Edward's office in her mind.

"What is it Alice," Esme asked as she grasped Carlisle's hand tightly, already fearing the worst for her beloved son Edward.

"She has left him," Alice responded simply as she looked up into her mother's worried eyes. "She couldn't accept the truth."

Esme turned to look into her husband's stunning face, seeing his immediate concern for their son echoing her own. "Oh Carlisle, what should we do?"

Pulling her gently into his arms to offer her some small measure of comfort, Carlisle wondered just what could be done for his son knowing that he had just lost the one and only love of his life. "I think I should probably go to Edward," he said solemnly, his unbeating heart breaking for the pain he knew his son must be enduring.

"Yes," Esme murmured into his strong chest, knowing that only Carlisle could offer any comfort to Edward now.

Kissing Esme softly, Carlisle released her from his embrace and made his way towards the back of the house to the garage.

"Alice," Esme called out gently as she walked over to take a seat beside her distraught daughter. "How is Edward?"

Alice couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped her lips as she brought up the vision of Edward in his office all alone, the fresh unbearable pain of losing Bella so very evident in his tortured golden eyes. "Oh Esme, he's in such pain," she said as she leaned into Jasper's chest as she tried to draw from his constant strength.

"Carlisle will be there soon," Jasper murmured soothingly as he caressed his wife's cheek lovingly.

"I really thought that Bella would be able to accept us," Esme wondered aloud as a bewildered look entered he topaz eyes. "I thought that she loved Edward so deeply that nothing would be able to break them apart."

"It is a lot for someone to accept," Jasper opined as he thought of what Bella must be going through.

"Just think how hard it was for us when we first were changed. It must be so hard for her to even believe what Edward has told her, let alone her accepting that she can have a place in his life. And then there are all of the misconceptions about us from movies and television. Maybe Edward wasn't able to explain how we have chosen to life our lives," he suggested as he too wondered just how Bella could turn her back on Edward after the deep love that he had witnessed between the two on Christmas.

"Maybe you should talk to her Esme," Alice said as she sat up straight to look at her mother's worried face. "Perhaps she needs to talk out her feelings with someone other than Edward right now."

"Perhaps," Esme repeated as she wondered if Bella would allow her an audience in order to plead Edward's case. "I think that I'll call her in the morning," she mused as she wanted to discuss the situation with Carlisle before she did anything that would only further Edward and Bella's pain.

Jasper sighed heavily as he struggled with his decision on whether or not he should bring up the nagging fear that had been plaguing him since he first heard of Edward's new found relationship with Bella.

"You might as well say it Jasper," Alice said as she shot him a look of slight annoyance as she had already seen his concern in a previous vision.

With a wiry grin gracing his handsome face at being called out once again by his beautiful wife, Jasper began to gently voice his concern. "I was just thinking that maybe we should prepare to leave Portland," he advised as he watched the twin looks of disappointment on both Esme's and Alice's faces. "I don't think that Bella would be the type of person to let our secret out, but we may as well err on the side of caution. Besides, I think that Edward would fare better in a place that didn't remind him of Bella."

Esme frowned as she pondered Jasper's suggestion, for in her heart she knew he was right, it would be better to leave Portland to ensure the safety of her family. But she didn't think that the change of scenery would do anything to dull Edward's pain, for in her heart she knew that he would never again find happiness, now that Bella had shut the door on any chance of a future for their love. "As much as I hate the thought of leaving, I think you may be right Jasper. Let's discuss it with Carlisle when he returns."

"I just wish things had turned out differently," Jasper sighed out with a sincere regret lacing through his words.

"Me too honey," Esme responded sadly as she began to face the fact that Bella would never be a part of her family. Bella, whom she had come to love as one of her very own, was not only lost to Edward but the entire Cullen family as well. "Have you seen anything new on Edward sweetheart?" she asked Alice as she reached out to pat her daughter's knee reassuringly, knowing that she too was feeling Bella's loss.

Alice closed her eyes and began to focus her concentration on Edward. After a few minutes of silence she stiffened abruptly. "Wait," she called out with a strange expression crossing her pixie face. "Something is changing," she said with a look of wonder in her golden gaze.

"What it is Alice," Jasper asked with a new urgency as he reached out to take her cold hand within his.

"I don't know, but there is still some hope, Bella is fighting with herself. She is still undecided," Alice said as she looked to each of the other two vampires within the room.

"Let's hope that she is deciding that she loves Edward enough to accept what he is," Esme whispered with a small smile gracing her perfect lips.

Alice shared the same look of hope with her mother, knowing that whatever Bella decided would change the course of their family's lives forever.

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Bella leaned back heavily against the cold steel wall of the elevator as the doors slid ominously shut, as if they too were signaling an end to her and Edward's love. Her heart was still racing frantically at the news that her Edward was a vampire. Closing her eyes to fight back her tears, she drew in a shuttering breath as she allowed the truth of what Edward was to shroud her with its unrelenting destructive power. All of her dreams had been shattered beyond repair; all of her hopes for a future with the man she loved had been crushed with the cruel truth that they could never be together. Why did she always lose the ones she loved, first her parents, then Jacob for a time, and now Edward…whose loss she knew she would carry with her to the day she died.

"Oh, Edward," she cried out softly as she allowed the tears she had been fighting to fall heedlessly down her smooth cheeks. As the tone of the elevator's bell announced its arrival at the building's lobby, Bella quickly wiped away her tears as she knew that she needed to get past Charlie to exit the building. With her head bent downwards she quickly made her way across the marbled lobby floor towards the glass doors at the front of the building.

"Bella," she heard Charlie's friendly voice call out to her as she passed his security desk.

"Goodnight Charlie," Bella said without looking up, her voice so uncharacteristically gruff from the force of trying to keep her tears at bay.

"Hey Kid," Charlie called out as he rose from his warn leather chair to make his way towards an obviously upset Bella.

Pausing at the door, Bella turned to face Charlie as he approached her, knowing that to leave without a proper goodbye to her friend would be something she would come to regret. As she glanced up into his concerned fatherly face she couldn't help the fresh wave of tears that filled her pain laced eyes.

"Bella," Charlie whispered softly as he reached out and placed a supportive arm around her quivering shoulders to lead her towards a bench to the right of the building's entryway. "Sit down, honey," he said gently.

"I'm sorry," Bella whispered as she wiped at the tears that she couldn't seem to stop as Charlie slid onto the bench next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he fished out the handkerchief that his wife always insisted he carry even though he thought it rather out of date in today's fashion.

Smiling her thanks, Bella took the offered handkerchief and began to wipe away her tears. "Thank you Charlie, but I don't think I want to talk."

Knowing that she and Mr. Cullen must have had a fight Charlie decided to offer his advice. "You know Bella; it's not always the easiest thing to love someone. I should know I loved the same woman for going on near Forty-two years now."

Bella smiled as she listened to the deep love in Charlie's voice as he spoke of his and Ruth's relationship.

"People today don't stay together like they did in my generation. Everyone seems to think that if they run into some problems that they need to go their separate ways. Divorce seems not to be such a taboo as it once was. It's almost too easy to divorce someone nowadays. I don't know why people don't fight to hang on to each other like they used too. I guess the times have changed since I was a young man, but I don't think that's always a good thing."

Knowing that Charlie was only trying to help Bella smiled gently. "I think your right Charlie, but sometimes even though the love is there, there are just too many differences to overcome," she said with such a saddened resignation that Charlie knew that something grave must have occurred to cause such a look of utter hopelessness in Bella's tear filled eyes.

"Oh honey," Charlie sighed deeply as he lifted his beefy arm to give her a gentle squeeze about her shoulders. "What would the world be like if we couldn't count on love to overcome all of our differences? What would be the point of anything without having the one person you were meant to be with by your side?"

"But sometimes love just isn't enough," Bella choked out in a barely there whisper as pain assaulted her heart with its merciless agony.

"If that were the truth then life just isn't worth living, Bella," Charlie said with a new firmness to his tone that attested to resolve that love could win out over any circumstance. "The greatest thing in life is to know that you can always count on one person to love you no matter what you've done. To know that no matter what failure or pain that you may have caused that at the end of the day that the person who truly loves you will be there. My Ruth loves me that way, as I do her… flaws and all," he said with a knowing amused smile.

Bella felt her heart stop at the truth to Charlie's words, for there wasn't anything more important than finding someone who will love you no matter what occurs. And she knew in her heart beyond any doubt that Edward was that one person who she was meant to be with. No matter what he was, together they would find a way to overcome it. Drawing in a deep breath, Bella stood and handed Charlie back his handkerchief. "Thank you," she said softly as she leaned down to kiss his weathered cheek.

"Don't mention it," he said with a wide grin, clearly please that he had been able help her. As he rose slowly from the bench he watched as Bella retraced her steps to the elevator, knowing that whatever had caused her tears was not as important as the love she obviously held within her heart for Edward. He knew that the kind of love that he had found with Ruth was a rare gift that needed to be nurtured and appreciated each day. Smiling a little smugly as he returned to his desk he knew that Bella had found that same unending love with Edward, and how wonderful it was that he had helped her decide that she was now going to fight to keep it.

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Edward sat stone still as the excruciating pain of losing Bella radiated throughout his body. Even though he had been prepared for her rejection, nothing could have predicted the utter devastation he was now experiencing at losing the only woman he would ever love. For what was left for him now that he couldn't share his life with Bella. Without her by his side what was the point to anything anymore, he thought with the agony of unparallel despair bearing down relentlessly on his very soul.

He knew that he would always love her even if he had to love her from afar. He would take all measures within his power to ensure that she had a safe and happy life and in doing so he would take some small measure of comfort in the fact that even if he couldn't be with her he would in his small way still show his unending love for her until the day she died. A sharp pain pierced his unbeating heart at the thought of her death, for he knew with unfailing certainty that he would have to find some way to end his own tortured existence when she no longer inhabited this plane of existence.

Running an unsteady hand through his thick bronze hair, Edward felt the thoughts of his family sweep over him as he read the empathy that they each held for him. Knowing that they must be worried he wondered how long he had until Carlisle arrived, for he could already sense his father's pending arrival. With a resigned sigh, Edward stood and made his way towards the office door, knowing that he would never return to this place, a place where he had first met Bella, the very place where he had found and lost his love.

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Bella jabbed at the button to Edward's floor repeatedly as if to speed up the acceleration of the elevator's accent. What a fool she was, she chastised herself silently. What she had almost thrown away, a love so precious that it should be treasured unquestioningly for the supreme gift that it was. Edward had proven himself to her on countless occasions; securing Jacob's freedom, allowing her time to heal from the pain of her past, finding the lost photographs of her family, and how did she repay his kindness? She silently asked herself as tears of self recrimination filled her eyes. She had carelessly turned her back on him and ran; ran away from any chance that they could overcome the obstacle that somehow didn't seem all that important when compared with the thought of never seeing Edward's sweet face again.

How she would ever be able to make it up to Edward she did not know, but she would spend the rest of her life trying if he would only give her the chance she thought to herself as the oppressive guilt of her weakness weighed heavily down upon her for the complete failure of her faith in their love's power to overcome what Edward was. As the bell finally rang out signaling the elevator's arrival Bella tensed as she began to shake with a very real fear that Edward wouldn't be able to forgive her for her lack of acceptance.

Edward stood with his shoulders slumping, standing in sharp contrast to his normally self assured posture; the look in his golden eyes creating an unveiled window to the obvious pain he was feeling. As the elevator doors began to slide open he instantly saw that Bella was inside. "Bella?" he asked as he took in the look of pain etched so ruthlessly into her beautiful features.

"Edward," Bella cried out as she launched herself into his arms while she began to sob uncontrollably against his cold marbled chest.

"Bella," Edward whispered as he held her tightly against his stone hard frame. "Sweetheart," he called to her as she began to tremble within his embrace.

"Just hold me, Edward," she cried out brokenly as she tightened her hold around his neck as if she was afraid that he would push her away. "Promise me you'll never let me go."

Edward felt his heart sing at her words. "I promise, Bella," he whispered reverently into her ear as he forced the words past the lump of indescribable emotion that had taken up residence in his throat.

After several minutes Bella's tears slowly began to recede. The strength of Edward's arms giving her courage to finally release her hold enough to look up into his gentle eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said with her voice wavering with the sorrow that she felt at her unforgivable actions.

"Sorry?" Edward echoed, clearly surprised that she was apologizing to him. "Bella, it's I who needs to apologize to you," he intoned with a sincerity that caused Bella's eye to once again fill with tears.

"Oh Edward, I was the one who ran away," she choked out with a self loathing so very evident in her tone. "I was the one who couldn't see that you were still the same loving and gentle man that I have come to love over the last five weeks. Please say you will forgive me," she begged as her body began to shake at the thought that he wouldn't be able to get past her unpardonable behavior.

Edward reached up and tenderly wiped away her tears with a soft caress of his thumb, his heart overjoyed that she somehow had come to accept him as he was. "There is nothing to forgive, my beautiful Bella. I love you," he whispered as he leaned down to brush her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss that conveyed all of the love he still held deep within his heart for her.

Bella gave herself up to Edward's kiss in blissful relief that he had somehow found it in his heart to still love her in spite of her earlier rejection. "I promise that I will never again take for granted your love," she vowed as she pulled back from his kiss.

"I'm going to hold you to that Ms. Swan," Edward answered as he smiled down at her with his undeniable love alighting deep within his eyes. With a laugh of pure elation, Edward lifted her in his arms and began to swing her around the room as he reveled in the simple pleasure of holding her within his arms.

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"Jasper!" Alice called out with a wide smile gracing her pretty face.

Running up the stairs in less than a half second, Jasper quickly made his way towards Alice as she danced about their bedroom. "What?" he asked urgently as he stood watching her from the doors threshold.

"She came back to him, Jasper! She came back and she loves him! It's okay!" she all but shouted as she launched herself across the room into his arms.

Jasper pulled her into his strong embrace, finding her true unfettered joy contagious. "Have I told you how much I love you today Mrs. Hale?" he asked as he leaned down to take her lips in a passionate kiss.

Alice smiled as she pushed him back slightly. "Not now, Jasper," she said as she raced back towards a large stack of fashion magazines.

Seeing that his wife had that all too recognizable mischievous look in her eyes, Jasper leaned heavily against the doorjamb as he wondered just what she planning in her pretty little head. "What are you up to now?" he asked with a shrewd look entering into his topaz eyes.

"I've got a wedding to prepare for, Jasper!" Alice announced as if he should have already uncovered that fact for himself earlier.

"Wedding?" Jasper echoed as he wondered what Edward was going to do once he found out that Alice had him already walking down the aisle into marital bliss.

Seeing a skeptical look in her Jasper's eyes, Alice placed her hands upon her hips and shot him an annoyed scowl. "It's going to happen Jasper!"

Smiling at the picture his gorgeous wife was making, Jasper sprang across the room in one graceful leap and pulled her resisting form into his arms. "I don't doubt that for a minute. But I don't think that you need to plan Edward and Bella's wedding just this minute." Leaning down he swept her up into his arms to carry her to their bed. "In fact Mrs. Hale, I think that you should get plenty of rest if you're going to be taking on such a task," he said with a wicked grin crossing his handsome face as he began to kiss his way down her neck.

Moaning softly, Alice smiled as she gave herself up to her husband's kisses and resigned herself to the knowledge that she would just have to put in some extra hours tomorrow on finding the perfect wedding dress for Bella.

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A/N Yea! She accepted him! As if anyone could turn him away! Okay so on to the next chapter…Bella will spend time discovering the truth about Edward's way of life, and poor Edward will be spending his time trying to reign in a very eager wedding planner by the name of Alice. Please take a minute and shoot me a review. Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or plot lines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.

**Author: ToryD**

**Beta: ****Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled and ****Hannah Writes R**

**Title: A Forbidden Forever**

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Three days later_

"But Edward!" Alice whined as she trailed after her brother through the thick line of trees deep within the Tillamook Forest. "If we don't start planning now we won't be ready in time. There's the reception hall, invitations, rehearsal dinners, not to mention the wedding dress…" Alice's voice trailed off in alarm, as she began to mentally list the multitude of decisions and planning that needed to be complete within the next few months.

Edward suppressed his grimace and wondered why he had agreed to accompany his family on this particular hunting trip, knowing all along that Alice had planned to ambush him with plans for his and Bella's wedding. Not that she had even agreed to marry him or not that he had even asked her yet he thought with a shiver of apprehension at the thought that Bella might refuse him.

"Have you heard anything I've said, Edward?!" Alice broke into his secret thoughts as she continued to hound his every step.

Glancing back to pin his bothersome sister with somewhat of a threatening glare Edward thought carefully before he addressed her. "Alice, while I appreciate your," he paused briefly as he sought the right word, "enthusiasm, I don't want you to bother Bella with any of your ideas. I haven't even decided when I'm going to ask her to marry me so…"

"February eighteenth," Alice interrupted with an amused, toothy grin spreading across her smug, all knowing features while she simultaneously brought up the vision she had already seen of Edward proposing on the previously mentioned date so he could read it for himself.

Repressing the desire to throttle his meddlesome sister, Edward drew on his extreme patience before he continued with his carefully measured response. "Be that as it may, it maybe that Bella doesn't want to tie herself to a vampire," he responded with heavy sigh.

"Oh she will, I've seen it," Alice replied in a matter of fact tone that caused a brilliant flash of relief to shoot through Edward as his greatest fear that Bella would refuse his proposal was pushed aside with his sister's knowing words. "So we'd better start thinking about where we want to have the reception if we're going to secure the date of August 1st."

"August 1st?" Edward said with a wiry grin spreading across his face as if the naming of the date had verified her words as an absolute truth.

"Yes, August 1st! Please try to keep up Edward!" Alice said as she stamped her foot as if she were a child having a temper tantrum.

Instead of battling the two intense emotions that were currently at odds within himself; the unparalleled joy at Alice's confirmation that Bella would be his wife as well as the unsettling feeling of apprehension washing over him in letting Alice have her way with the wedding plans, Edward simply gave up and turned with a pleading look towards Carlisle and Esme. "A little help here would be appreciated."

Carlisle bit his lip to hold in his laughter, while Esme shot her son a sympathetic look before turning her attention to her over eager daughter. "Alice, maybe you should let Edward and Bella handle their own plans. It could be that they prefer not to have a lavish wedding. Maybe they would prefer something simple, with just the family."

"…or a short trip to Vegas," Edward mumbled under his breath with a gleam of boyish mischief alighting within his eyes.

A look of what only could be described as utter horror flashed across Alice's beautiful face as she imagined Edward in a pseudo tuxedo t-shirt with Bella at his side in worn jeans, both exchanging their vows in front of an Elvis impersonator justice of the peace. "That's not going to happen!" she erupted shrilly before she stomped off in the direction of her husband and Emmett to join their hunt, for she knew she couldn't take another moment in Edward's annoying presence.

Edward laughed deeply at the picture that his sister had conjured up in her mind before she stalked off in a huff. "Well, I guess that will quiet her down for a while," he said as he turned his attention back to his parents.

Carlisle smiled at the undeniable happiness that was so clearly evident in his son's shining eyes. "It's good to see you so happy son," he said with a warm smile.

"I am happy," Edward answered truthfully with a wide smile gracing his perfect face that served to fill Esme's unbeating heart with a shared joy.

"I'm so please that Bella was able to accept us, not that I ever had any doubt that she would. She is a very special young woman," Esme commented as she watched her son with a serene happiness reflected within her own gentle features.

"That she is," Carlisle agreed as he clasped his arm around Edward's broad shoulder. "She must always be treasured for the gift she is Edward. I can't wait until she officially joins our family and becomes my daughter."

"Me too," Edward answered with a slight frown marring his smooth marbled brow as he thought of all that Bella would be giving up when she became a Cullen.

"Why do I get the feeling that there is something still bothering you?" Esme asked, as she shrewdly accessed her son's expression.

"How is it that I can't get anything past you?" Edward asked with a slightly bemused yet affectionate look towards his mother. "I just wish Bella didn't have to give up so much for choosing to share her life with me," he answered with a slight twinge of guilt mixed with sadness. "With us, it was a matter of life or death. But for Bella…she could have so much more."

Esme shared a concerned look with Carlisle before she turned her attention back to Edward. "You mean children don't you Edward?" she asked gently.

"Yes, children, family," Edward responded with a frustrated groan as he leapt over a huge boulder that blocked his path. "I don't want her to have to give everything up for me. And it's not just the family that I can't provide for her. It's the way we live. Having to move every six to eight years to begin again, I just wish that it didn't have to be this way."

"Have you discussed this with Bella son?" Carlisle asked as he joined his son whose jump had distanced him over a hundred feet away.

"Yes, but she says that it just doesn't matter to her, that the only thing that she can't live without would be me," Edward answered with a confounded shake of his head as if he couldn't believe that Bella would love him enough to give up everything to be with him.

"Sounds like she must really love you," Carlisle observed with a thoughtful look on his smooth, chiseled face.

"And how could she not," Esme added with a slightly affronted tone and a sharp look of mock censure on her motherly face as she playfully aimed a swat of her hand at her husband's chest. "Is my Edward not the most handsome of men?"

"Yeah, he's a real looker," A loud obnoxious shout was called back to their direction, followed almost instantly by a burst of amused laughter from both Emmett and Jasper.

Edward rolled his eyes at his brother's comment and knew that he was in for a few hours of hell courtesy of Emmett. Maybe it was time for another wrestling match; he thought shrewdly to himself as he knew the only way to shut Emmett up was to beat him at something.

Esme reached out and put her arm around Edward, "Why don't you bring Bella by tonight," she suggested as she began to walk towards their home. "It's been almost a week since we last saw her."

"Sure, I think she'd like that," Edward smiled down at his mother. "I'll head home and get cleaned up and then pick Bella up. I was planning on taking her to a movie she's been wanting to see so we'll stop by around ten."

"Perfect, I'd like to talk with Bella about our history," Esme said as she watched her son closely. "I think it will help her with her transition. Have you discussed the possibility of her becoming one of us?"

Edward felt a wave of alarm race through him at the thought of Bella becoming a vampire. While they had not officially broached the subject he was not all that enthused with Bella becoming one of them in the literal sense. "It's not something that we have discussed yet. I'd like for her to know more about our way of life so she can make an informed decisions. While it would be an easier life if she were to decide to change, I don't want her to feel any pressure to do so. I will love her no matter what she decides."

"And if she decides to remain human, will you be able to accept the limits that will impose upon you?" Carlisle asked with a sincerely concern gracing his smooth features.

Knowing that his father was asking if he had considered Bella's aging leading to her eventual death, Edward repressed a shudder of fear that raced through him. "Yes, I have considered it," he responded gruffly, the intense emotion of his fears not lost on either of his parents.

"Can you live with that Edward?" Esme asked softly, a real fear for her son spreading throughout her heart.

"What choice do I have," Edward answered simply with a small sad smile gracing his perfect lips. "She is my life now, and without her there is nothing."

"Then I'm so very happy that you've found her," Esme said lightly as she brushed her lips to his smooth cheek. "You'd better go if you don't want to be late."

Smiling down at his mother Edward nodded and then turned to race off in the direction of his home. Esme watched until he had disappeared from her view with a loving smile gracing her gentle features. Turning back towards her husband she held out her hand. "I've never seen him so alive before."

"It's Bella's doing, I'm sure," Carlisle said as she took his wife's proffered hand and kissed it gallantly.

He still is concerned about what she's going to have to give up, though," Esme said with a frown beginning to crease her pale brow.

"It's not an easy life, but if Bella loves him half as much as he does her then I don't think that there will be any problems."

"Let's hope so," Esme said as she thought of not only Bella's sacrifices but of Rosalie's as well, for she knew that her daughter would have to put aside her feelings for Edward if they were ever going to exist in some semblance of a peaceful family.

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"Well I guess that's it," Bella said as she closed her now empty locker and turned towards her friend of the last four years. "I'm going to miss seeing you every day," she said as she smiled sadly at the thought of leaving the bakery behind for the last time.

"Oh, honey," Meg began as she tried to fight off the sentimental tears that were so very foreign to her nature. "I'm going to miss you too. But hey, no one said that you can't come and visit me from time to time."

Smiling Bella pulled the older woman into her arms for a brief hug. "I will," she promised as she knew that Meg was one of those rare people who she knew she could always count on. "I guess I'd better get going," she said with a resigned sigh. "Edward is supposed to pick me up."

"Ah, what I wouldn't give to land myself a hottie like that," Meg said with an exaggerated leer that caused Bella to laugh. "Your Mr. Perfect doesn't have any friends my age does he?"

"I don't think so, but I'll keep an eye out for you," Bella promised as she bent to pick up the box that now held the contents of her former locker.

"You do that honey," Meg called out as she held the door wide for Bella. "Take care," she said in a more serious tone.

"I will, and Meg…" Bella's voice broke as she looked into the wise blue eyes of her friend. "Thanks for everything, I love you…" Bella added as she felt a genuine sadness begin to wash over her.

"I know," Meg choked out past the lump of emotion that had formed within her throat. "I love you too, honey." After a brief moment where Meg attempted to collect herself, she waved a dismissive hand to bank down the tears that were now threatening. "Ah, off you go," she said with a mock gruffness that served to lighten the mood. "And you give that boyfriend of yours a kiss for me," she called after Bella as she left the building.

Smiling Bella nodded her head in response to Meg's off handed comment. As she heard the heavy door thud to a close she felt an intense wave of loss wrap around her. Edward had been so worried of all that she would have to leave behind in choosing to spend her life with him, to which she had responded with a casualness that now seemed so foolish, for she would miss her friend Meg, not to mention what she would be leaving behind when she had to say goodbye to Mike and Jacob.

Her heart gave a painful squeeze as she let the thought of never seeing Mike and Jacob again reside in her consciousness, for the first time since she had made the decision to share her life with Edward. The pain of the loss she would soon face seemed to permeate her entire being as if it were a thriving, living entity within her very soul. Yet the alternative to this pain would prove unbearable. For a life without Edward was even more unthinkable, for without him nothing in this life would seem to matter anymore. No, she knew that she had made the right decision, no matter what it would cost her, Edward was her future. With her resolve firmly settled around her she looked up and found the meaning to her life. Edward.

Bella felt a shiver of excitement race through her as her eyes alighted on Edward as he stood patiently waiting for her outside the bakery's back entrance. His tall frame leaning with such casual ingrained elegance that Bella knew that she had to be the luckiest woman in the world to be able to call him her very own.

"Here, let me take that," he said as he rushed to her side to take the heavy box from her. "What's all this?"

"Just some of my things I stored in my locker over the past four years," she answered as she let him take the box. "I'm going to miss seeing Meg every day."

Edward felt a small pang of guilt assault his conscious as he wondered if he had pushed her too hard in his preference that she give up her two part time jobs. Of course if she chose to live with him there would be other more painful sacrifices that she would have to make in the near future.

Bella watched the play of emotions on Edward's perfect face with a feeling of apprehension, for she had seen the same look in the days leading up to their argument three days earlier. "Edward?" she asked as she pinned him with her worried gaze across the top of his black Mercedes.

Seeing that he was upsetting Bella, he relaxed his features into a casual smile. "Sorry, I guess I'm just feeling a little guilty for making you give up your job," he responded truthfully.

"Is that it?" Bella asked with a slight wrinkling of her nose which instantly held Edward spellbound in fascination as he stared unblinkingly at her adorable face. "There's nothing to feel guilty about. I don't think I'm going to miss being here at four every morning," she added dismissively before she slid into the cool leather seat on the passenger's side. "Besides, I much rather devote my time to you."

After depositing Bella's box in the back seat, Edward slid in the driver's seat and leaned over to kiss Bella's soft lips in a long, slow kiss. "Have I told you how much I love you today?" he asked as he caressed her cheek with the back of his cool fingers.

Smiling at the look of total adornment that his golden eyes held for her Bella turned her head so that she could kiss his caressing fingers lightly before answering. "Yes, I do think I remember you saying that you loved me first thing this morning when you dropped me off some five hours ago."

"You mean it's been five whole hours?" Edward asked with a look of mocking horror crossing his gorgeous face. "How remiss of me!" he said as he pulled her into a passionate embrace and proceeded to kiss her breathless with a hungry growl.

Bella surrendered to the magic of his kiss and felt as if her heart had taken flight, for never would there be a more perfect moment than this moment in time with that man who had taken her heart and in return had given his. Tears began to fill her eyes as the intensity of her love for Edward poured over her in a storm of emotion.

Edward released her lips reluctantly as he wished he could spend all of his time holding her within his arms. Seeing the fresh tears alighting within her warm brown eyes, he started as he reached out to catch the trail of a single tear as it escaped down her smooth cheek. "Hey, what's this?" he asked her tenderly, as concern lit within his seeking gaze.

Smiling as a slight blush colored her cheeks Bella drew in a deep, calming breath. "I guess I'm just feeling a little emotional. I love you Edward," she declared with such a simple divine truth that Edward gasped as he felt his body soar with the joy her love had instilled within him.

"I don't deserve you," he said almost roughly as he leaned down to tenderly kiss her lips, with all of the immense love he felt for her apparent in his golden eyes.

Shaking her head in wonder, Bella traced the line of his cold hard cheek. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you," she said as she closed her eyes to lean into his hard shoulder. "Sometimes it scares me. The thought that this might all just be a dream and that I'll soon wake up and you won't be there."

Edward saw the look of real fear in her eyes that he knew was reflected within his own, for he too had the same fear that this would all disappear one day. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared as he kissed the top of her head tenderly. "I will always be here by your side as long as you'll have me."

Bella smiled into his chest as she reached for his cold hand to pull it to her lips. "Promise?"

Pulling back so he could look into her eyes, Edward reached out to trace the soft curve of her bottom lip with a gentle sweep of his thumb. "Promise," he answered with a such a firm resolve reflected in his earnest golden gaze that for the first time, Bella felt some small measure of peace in the thought that they would find their happily ever after, that they would be together forever, where neither could survive without the other at their side

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Okay…so where are the reviews??? There are over 270 story alerts but only 24 reviews? Where is everyone? Please review…please. Okay enough begging…next chapter Esme and Bella's conversation about her life with the Cullen's, and of course more of our lovable wedding planner Alice.


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